Mr Sean Fitzgerald and the Sunday World

The Press Ombudsman has decided that there is insufficient evidence to allow him make a decision on a complaint by Mr Sean Fitzgerald that an article about him in the Sunday World on 9 March 2014 was in breach of Principle 1 (Truth and Accuracy) of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.

Mr Fitzgerald complained that a number of statements about him in the article were inaccurate.  

The newspaper responded that the statements complained about came from highly reputable and confidential sources, but did not give any additional information about these sources other than that contained in the article itself.  

The Press Ombudsman noted that statements in the article about which Mr FitzGerald complained were, for the most part, directly or indirectly attributed to the newspaper’s sources, some of which were named and others of which were described as confidential.  As the Press Ombudsman was not in a position to assess, or to investigate to a verifiable conclusion, the factual accuracy of the statements, or of the complainant’s denials of   these statements, he was unable to make a decision on this complaint under the Principle cited.

1 August 2014