View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Media Law
February 6, 2009

Sub-editing error leads to crank calls for couple

By Owen Amos

The Press Complaints Commission has upheld a complaint against the Loughborough Echo after a sub-editing error led to a member of the public receiving crank phone calls.

A reporter filed a story, about a local couple whose house was damaged by builders, including their mobile number several carriages below the main body of text.

The reporter was due to go on holiday, and left the number in case anyone from the paper wanted to contact the couple in his absence.

But the number was included in the story’s final paragraph, causing the couple to receive ‘numerous crank calls”, according to the PCC‘s report.

The adjudication read: ‘This was a case where the newspaper had made an obvious and unfortunate error.

‘The publication of the man’s mobile telephone number, which was not accessible to the public, without consent was undoubtedly intrusive.

‘The commission welcomed the fact that the editor had sought to respond quickly to the complaint, and had apologised unreservedly.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

‘This was the right thing to do in the circumstances. There was however a breach of the code and the complaint was upheld.”

However, a more general complaint – that the story was intrusive – was dismissed.

The couple said they had not consented to the story – but the newspaper said it had been approached by a local councillor, and added the complainants had never indicated they wished anonymity.

The adjudication said: “There was a dispute between the newspaper and complainants about what had been agreed in advance of publication, but the commission noted the story was about problems apparently caused by a building developer, and had appeared following an approach by the local councillor to talk about the matter and the council’s attempts to sort it out.

“In these circumstances, the information was not private, and publication of the piece (other than the phone number) was not intrusive in breach of the code.”

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network