Taxi Driver Online

Very interesting situation it will be most interesting to see the PCC reaction.


Regards

JD

_________________
Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

I finally had a reply from the PCC and to be honest I was not a bit surprised at the contents. I will type a copy of the findings.

There was no breach of code

The Commission noted that the complainant had raised concerns over the accuracy of coverage in the newspaper related to warnings to taxi drivers. The complainant was particularly concerned over the newspaper's claim - made, for example, in the headline on the first page - that 1,000 taxi drivers had received a "safety rap". In fact, the complainant said that many of the alleged infringements were of a technical nature, and did not compromise safety at all.

The Commission considered the complaint under Clause 1 (Accuracy), which states that the press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information. It initially emphasised its general approach to headlines: that they were necessarily a brief summary of a more detailed set of circumstances. It was therefore appropriate to consider a headline in the context of an article as a whole.

On this occasion, the Commission noted that the coverage had clarified the 902 cabs drivers in Cardiff had received warnings for breaching the rules of their licenses on such matters such as "tyres close to the legal limit,defective lights,damaged cabs and no insurance". It had also made it clear that eighteen drivers had been reported for prosecution.

The Commission considered that the text of the article had clarified the full position and that the readers generally would not be misled into believing that there were 1,000 unsafe taxis, for example, or that all of the warned individuals had been prosecuted.There was nothing to suggest that the newspaper had inaccurately reported the figures, and the commission emphasised that the selection and presentaion of material was a matter for editorial discretion.

That said, the Commission noted that the newspaper had published an edited version of the complainant's letter - setting out his views on the matter - which seemed a sensible approach. The end.

So there you go, they can print what they like and all that these bodies do is to act like a buffer zone. I have come across this with other bodies, I suppose this is what they mean when they say you cannot beat the system.

_________________
if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

I think the editor of the rag will not repeat his actions, as the PCC investigation would have caused him grief.

So you did the right thing.

_________________
IDFIMH

Can't say I find the PCC's judgement compelling.

For a start, the story was factually incorrect because tyres being close to the legal limit is not a breach of licence (surely?).

As for the rest, the problem is that although the breaches probably merited the story, we have no way of knowing how many of the 902 came under these headings.

It might have just been a handful, and to the extent that the article reads like it was hundreds then it's misleading.

It's like saying, 1,000 residents of a town committed a criminal offence last year, and crimes included murder, rape and armed robbery.

But it seems to me that the PCC would think it OK to report it in this way even if there was one person guilty of murder, one guilty of rape, one guilty of armed robbery and the other 997 got speeding tickets.

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

I feel that over the years I have learned that when you make a complaint, a complaints body is put in front of you in order to give you the feel that you have a chance to put things right. But! the truth is that it has been put there by a government department - and that it is nothing more than an obstacle, a barrier, something in order to take the sting out of the situation.

I once went to the ombudsman, and without being conceited I know I was right, but when they say that their decision is final - where do you go?

The legal situation is so prohibitive even though you are right - it can bankrupt you

In a nutshell they hide behind the lack of financial resources of the average person, because bye and large we are financialy suppressed.

_________________
if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.