Press watchdog criticises SMH for failing to do ‘basic fact-checking’ over Paul Sheehan rape column
The Australian Press Council (APC) has criticised the Sydney Morning Herald for failing to do “basic fact-checking” over a piece by columnist Paul Sheehan in February of this year which claimed police failed to act on allegations of a gang rape by a group of Middle Eastern men.
Fairfax was forced to apologise and stand Sheehan down over the opinion column, with the APC today finding it that breached the standards requiring them to take reasonable steps to verify or justify a report.
In its ruling the APC noted the article “concerned serious and distressing allegations that would likely cause substantial offence, distress and/or prejudice” before noting that all of Sheehan’s claims “would have been readily dismissed with basic fact-checking, but this was not done.”
In the article entitled ‘The horrifying untold story of Louise’ Sheehan reported that ‘Louise’ had described the men who attacked her as “MERC – Middle Eastern raping c—s”, and claimed the police took no action over her allegations.
Where were the editorial checks? (Oh, are there any Fairfax editors left)? Where were basic journalist principles? Unfortunately Paul Sheehan had form in allowing his own opinions, prejudices, to override basic factual evidence – which in this case simply didn’t exist. A made up story. Regrettably he is just part of a trend in politics and media.
why would anyone advertise? they flushed their credibility down the shitter the same way News did. Dopey.