Tabloid Editor Reprimanded By Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corporation, publicly rebuked the editor of the News of the World, Piers Morgan for the invasion of privacy and treatment of Countess Spencer.

The reprimand came after the Press Complaints Commission found Mr Morgan guilty of a serious breach of its code of conduct. The newspaper had published an article and photographs about the Countess’s treatment for eating disorders and alcohol addiction.

Mr Murdoch said “While I will always support worthwhile investigative journalism as a community responsibility, it is clear that in this case this young man went over the top”. Lord Wakeham of the Complaints Commission yesterday wrote to Mr Murdoch with a copy of the adjudication telling Mr Murdoch that the News of The World needed to review its application of the part of the code that deals with the invasion of privacy.

Mr Morgan said yesterday that he accepted “full responsibility” for the story and sent his “sincere apologies” to the Countess. He said “Mr Murdoch has made his feelings on this subject very clear to me.”

Lord Wakeham also said that the commission was considering launching an investigation into the way News of the World obtained information for the story alleging sexual impropriety by Tory MP Mr Richard Spring.