Thread: How do press get away with printing speculation which is totally untrue?

So much stuff is printed about all sorts of stories which turns out to be utterly unfounded and untrue in the end.

It seems terrible that people should have things printed which are untrue.

How come they are allowed to do this - particularly in the case of criminal investigations such as the McCanns?

No rants about the rights or wrongs of the case please - just why do press get away with printing rumours.

they need to fill the pages somehow
even if it means bending the truth or rewording something that was wrtiten weeks before to make it look like a new story

If people are going to keep buying the papers they will print, they have been taken to court in the past but a fine to them is nothing.I know what you mean.

I just don't know, you would think there needed to be an element of truth to it, but it seems not. They rely on people not bothering to sue, after it has calmed down.
I suppose as long as they can provide a source they feel justified. Its wrong though.

Radio and TV are generally more reliable than the newspapers. The newspapers need to sell copies, which unfortunately means sensational truth-bending headlines.

Unfortunately when people keep buying these papers, they will remain popular and they will keep getting away with printing what they want.

Newspapers are there to make money. Their reporters are entitled to an opinion like everyone else, and write it as such. Don't tell me you believe what you read in the papers?

Because the press actually run this country, that's been said many a time and it's true. They have everyone in powers careers in their hands. One word saying Gordon Brown is a racisit or stealing money from charities and he'd be ruined, proof or no proof. The press control our society, it's them who bring us the news in any form or through any words they want.

The paper's are no worse than this site! free speech.......

The stay within the law whilst manipulating us into believing what they print.

With the McCanns they got away with a lot because the crime happened overseas and any action would be taken in Portugal with a jury selected locally.

Use of the words such as alleged or variants will appear a lot.