Thu Sep 19 07:00:00 UTC 2024: ## Local Council’s Complaint Against Newspaper Dismissed by Press Regulator
The Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) has dismissed complaints made by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council against the Enniskillen-based newspaper, the Impartial Reporter. The council had been angered by a series of articles published in April and May that detailed the council’s decision to provide meals to councillors attending meetings.
The council, in a detailed complaint, alleged that the Impartial Reporter had misrepresented Freedom of Information replies and that both the council and individual councillors had been subjected to inaccuracies and harassment.
However, Ipso found that the Impartial Reporter’s reporting was accurate and not misleading. The regulator acknowledged that the newspaper’s coverage was “robust” but found no evidence of intimidation or persistent pursuit in breach of their regulations.
Ipso ruled that the Impartial Reporter was entitled to express opinions and be critical of public bodies, provided they did not publish inaccurate or misleading information. The regulator concluded that the newspaper had properly scrutinized the council’s decision to provide meals to councillors, a policy funded by public money.
The council’s complaint also included an allegation that the newspaper had published the personal data of Sinn Féin councillor Sheamus Greene in breach of the law. This complaint was also dismissed by Ipso.
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