It has to be said that there’s a lot of anger from members of the public for the mainstream media right now, even more so than usual. Following the disgustingly one-sided reports from newspapers such as The Sun and The Daily Mail on the election we were all left wondering whether free press is something these publications even take into consideration when publishing articles.
After the horrific, and let’s face it avoidable, fire at Grenfell tower on Wednesday, this anger for the mainstream media has only surged. Their unwillingness to voice resident’s anger by cutting them off in interviews and the complete lack of blame being cast upon some of those that deserve it, that being the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council, the building management company KCTMO, Rydon the contractors for the “regeneration” of the building and in reality, Conservative cuts to public spending.
However, news has emerged today that will sicken even the most staunch Daily Mail reader. King’s College Hospital is to file a complaint with the press watchdog (IPSO) over the fact that a Sun journalist impersonated a relative of the one of the victims of the fire in order to try and get an interview with him. You couldn’t really get much lower.
A spokesperson for the NHS has released the following statement:
“Following an incident at King’s College hospital, we have formally written to the Sun and will be informing the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
“We are unable to comment on the specifics until our complaint has been investigated.”
The newspaper had apparently lined up an interview via text with Mario Gomes, who lived on the 21st floor of the building and who ran back into the blaze to save his 12 year old daughter. When the journalists arrived at the hospistal Mario had changed his mind, it has then been said that the Sun representative impersonated a family member in order to get access.
News UK, the publisher of The Sun (and The Times and Sunday Times) have denied the allegations. Of course.
“The Sun was in contact with one of the people injured in the Grenfell fire, who provided a detailed phone interview for the newspaper. We then visited him in hospital to get a further interview and photos.
“On arrival The Sun reporter and photographer made hospital staff aware that they were present and had been in touch with the contact. However we were informed the contact had changed his mind on the interview and The Sun promptly left the hospital. We completely refute any accusation that our employees acted inappropriately.”
The sad thing is it’s not actually surprising. The Sun is renowned as a morally lacking publication and this just screams of something their employees would do. The lack of ethics in the paper, and those owned by Rupert Murdoch and pals, needs to be seriously addressed by the press watchdog and beyond. Just consider this is the second most read newspaper (across print and online) following The Daily Mail in this country and it’s going to such lengths for stories at a time when respect is due at its most. Let’s hope this nationwide outrage can manifest into some positive and start the process of drastic change in this country.