Friday, February 10, 2006

Reply from BBC Horizon

Dear Bridget,

As spoken, attached is a copy of the e-mail that Alicky Sussman, producer of The 7/7 Bombers, thought had been sent to you on 3 November. We are sincerely sorry that you've had to wait so long to receive it.

Kind regards,

Alison

Alison Wilson
Divisional Adviser
Factual Programmes


Dear Ms Dunne,

Thank you for your email regarding the recent Horizon documentary - The 7/7 Bombers - A Psychological Investigation.

The information in the programme regarding the train times from Luton and at Kings Cross was based on information released by the Metropolitan Police Specialist Operations office and information provided to us by Thameslink and Luton station.

Although the psychologist, Dr Andrew Silke, was re-tracing the journey of the 4 bombers, he was not re-enacting it so there are some bits of his journey that do differ from the journey of the bombers.

The position that Hasib Hussain sat on the bus is an interesting point, but not one that we included in the programme as we did not have time to cover everything.

According to Dr Silke, Hussain would have been under a great deal of stress at that point and it likely that the position that he chose on the bus was not pre-planned, but the most convenient space at the time for him to carry out his mission.

With best wishes,

Alicky Sussman
Producer, Horizon
The information in the Horizon programme that I had complained about can be viewed here:

http://www.officialconfusion.com/77/train/horizon77.wmv

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Press Complaints Commision Decision

On 2/12/05 I sent the following complaint to the Press Complaints Commission

Dear Sir or Madam

I am writing to complain about the following publication: Timesonline

On the date of:July 14 2005

The Headline was: CCTV pictures show London bus bomber

My complaint details are as follows:

I believe the following section of the code has been breached by the Times.

Accuracy
i) The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information, including pictures.
ii) A significant inaccuracy, mis-leading statement or distortion once recognised must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence, and - where appropriate - an apology published.

When they state the following:

Hasib Hussain, an 18-year-old from Leeds, is shown in a CCTV image mounting the stairs at Luton station before taking the 7.40am train to King's Cross.

This information is incorrect and misleading as no 7.40 train left Luton Station that morning and this information is readily available from Thameslink. In fact, no train left Luton thameslink after 7.40 that could have reached Kings X in time for these young men to board the underground trains.

The link to the article is: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22989-1693797,00.html

Yours Sincerely

Bridget Dunne

Source: Complaint to the PCC


Today, 7/2/06, 7 months after the events in London on 7/7/05, I received the following reply:


Their decision was as follows:
Press Complaints Commission
Commission's decision in the case of Dunne v The Times

The Commission noted the complainant's contention that the article was wrong in stating that the 7 July bombers took a train from Luton station at 0740. However, there appeared to be no suggestion that the substance of the article was incorrect and no complaint from anyone connected to Hasib Hussain had been received to the effect that any photographs published by the Times were not, in fact, of him. The Commission did not consider that any very minor inaccuracy with regard to when the train left Luton was so significant as to mislead readers or to warrant correction under the terms of the Code. Ultimately, it did consider the Code to have been breached by the article at all.
Just to remind myself of the PCC's code of conduct
Accuracy
i) The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information, including pictures.
ii) A significant inaccuracy, mis-leading statement or distortion once recognised must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence, and - where appropriate - an apology published.

So when the PCC say:
The Commission did not consider that any very minor inaccuracy with regard to when the train left Luton was so significant as to mislead readers or to warrant correction under the terms of the Code. Ultimately, it did consider the Code to have been breached by the article at all.

I can only assume that the fact that Hasib Hussain could not have got onto a train at 7.40, to then be seen in London at 8.26, is just a 'minor inaccuracy'.

It was so insignificant, according to the PCC, as to not warrant correction under the terms of the code.

Simple things like facts now appear to be irrelevant in this 'stage-managed' world we inhabit.