The Sunday Times and has been censured by the Press Complaints
Commission for failing to co-operate after it was investigated over a
story it ran that criticised the Catholic church.
Author David
Yallop launched the complaint over a story about controversial aspects
of the Catholic church. The story included allegations from his book,
In God’s Name, about the death of Pope John Paul I in 1978.
Yallop
filed a complaint under clause one of the Editor’s Code (accuracy)
after claiming the article, which appeared in the Sunday Times Magazine
on 16 January, misrepresented his book.
During negotiations brokered by the PCC, the Sunday Times published a correction, despite a request for it not to do so.
The
PCC said the correction, which did not include an apology, was
adequately worded, but it raised “serious concerns” about the way the
Sunday Times dealt with the complaint.
It said: “Publishing a
correction that had not been agreed with the complainant, despite a
request from the commission not to do so, was neither in the spirit of
the system of self regulation nor within the letter of the code of
practice.”
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
