Which was all very heart-warming. But not true. The girl does have anillness, but it is much less serious. She has never spent even a singlenight in a hospital. She had only agreed to appear in the photograph togive moral support to her cousin, who is seriously ill.
Later, the newspaper published a clarification describing her actualillness, which the girl's mother described as inadequate.
So did the Press Complaints Commission. It upheld the complaint againstthe Medway Kent Messenger that by being both inaccurate and intrusivethe story breached the editors' code of practice.
How did it happen? The newspaper said it had been contacted by thefundraiser, who was seeking publicity for the fundraising event. Shegave them details of the girl's condition. Given that the newspaper haddealt with the fundraiser on a number of occasions over similar matters,the paper thought it "not unreasonable" to assume that she was speakingwith the full authority of the parents concerned. So no journalistbothered contacting the family.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
