Stephen Gately: Andrew Cowles Complains To PCC Over Jan Moir
STEPHEN Gately’s ‘unnatural death‘, as told by Jan Moir, died on Twitter but lives on at the Press Complaints Commission. Gately’s civil partner Andrew Cowles has formally complained to the PCC. Other articles on Gately stank but Moir’s reeked.
Mr Cowles says Jan Moir’s Daily Mail column breached guidelines on “accuracy, intrusion into grief or shock, and discrimination”. Also, the PCC should consider the 25,000 complaints about the piece.
Moir later attempted to exonerate herself:
“What I meant by ‘nothing natural’ was that the natural duration of his life had been tragically shortened in a way that was shocking and out of the ordinary. Absolutely none of this had anything to do with his sexuality.”
Adding:
“If he had been a heterosexual member of a boy band, I would have written exactly the same article.”
You can bone up on the whole matter here. But don’t expect too much. Moir toils at the Mail. And the PCC is not very powerful.
2. What is the PCC’s greatest sanction?
If a newspaper or magazine is found to have acted in breach of the Code, the editor is obliged to publish the Commission’s criticisms in full and with due prominence. If the breach is particularly serious, the Commission can then refer the editor to his or her publisher to address the areas of concern. As many editors have adherence to the PCC Code written into his or her contract, a serious breach can have consequences in regard to their future employment.
Stephen Gately: A Career in Pictures
How ‘Loathsome’ Jan Moir Buried Herself And Stephen Gately
Stephen Gately’s Death Becomes A Tale Of Gay Sex, Homophobia And ‘Murder’
Posted: 17th, December 2009 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
