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for resolving complaints about the press

1554/2023 - Mr Hermann Kelly and Dundalk Democrat

By admin
Monday, 24th July 2023
Filed under:

COMPLAINT

Mr Kelly complained about an article headlined “Irish Freedom Party anti-immigrant rally planned for Dundalk – but no one showed up”, which he said breached Principle 1 (Truth and Accuracy) of the Code of Practice.

PRESS OMBUDSMAN’S DECISION

The Press Ombudsman decided to uphold the complaint.

APPEAL TO PRESS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

The editor of the Dundalk Democrat appealed the decision to the Press Council of Ireland on the grounds that (1) the procedures followed in making the decision were not in accordance with the published procedures for considering complaints and (2) there was an error in the Press Ombudsman’s application of the Principles of the Code of Practice.

The Press Council considered the appeal at its meeting on Wednesday, 12 July 2023.

The procedures followed in making the decision were not in accordance with the published procedures for considering complaints.

The Press Council decided to reject this part of the appeal on the basis that the appeal contained no evidence that the procedures followed by the Press Ombudsman in making her decision were not in accordance with the published procedures for considering complaints.   In particular, the Press Council was satisfied that the Press Ombudsman had made her decision based on all of the correspondence on file that was seen by both the editor and the complainant.

There was an error in the Press Ombudsman’s application of the Principles of the Code of Practice.

The Press Council decided to reject this part of the appeal on the basis that the appellant failed to demonstrate that the Press Ombudsman had erred in her application of Principle 1 of the Code of Practice.   It agreed that the Press Ombudsman was entitled to find that the correction offered was insufficient to resolve the complaint.

View the Decision of the Press Ombudsman