Press Council addressed three questions related to responsible journalism

I was interested to read an Oct. 16, 2013 Etobicoke Guardian article entitled (in its print version): “Ontario Press Council dismisses complaints about stories.”

Three questions

As the article notes, three questions were considered by the Press Council:

1. Did the article deal with a matter in the public interest?;

2. Were adequate efforts made to verify the allegations prior to publication and were the subjects given opportunity to respond?;

3. Was there sufficient justification to use confidential sources?; and in the matter of the Globe’s story, was it appropriate to include other family members in the investigation?

Comment

The case has been valuable in enabling readers to get a sense of what is judged to constitute responsible journalism.

Update: An Oct. 18, 2013 Globe and Mail back story highlights the characteristics of responsible journalism.