Record 21,000 complaints over article on Gately

BRITAIN’S Press Complaints Commission received a record 21,000 complaints in relation to an article that appeared in the British edition of the Daily Mail criticising the “dangerous lifestyle” of the late Boyzone singer Stephen Gately.

This represents more complaints in a single weekend than the regulator has received in total in the past five years.

The article, written by Jan Moir, was headlined “Why there was nothing ‘natural’ about Stephen Gately’s death” and provoked wide-spread commentary on the internet.

The PCC, which regulates newspapers in Britain, stopped short of announcing an immediate investigation to see if its code of practice has been violated but said it would “consider” the 21,000 complaints.

It has confirmed, however, it will investigate whether Jan Moir’s article breached the Editors’ Code regardless of whether or not his relatives choose to pursue the matter.

They “represent by far the highest number of complaints ever received about a single article in the history of the commission”, the PCC has confirmed.

“Any complaint from the affected parties will naturally be given precedence by the commission, in line with its normal procedures,” the watchdog said in a statement.

However, despite the volume of complaints, the PCC said it was yet to begin an inquiry. The regulator does not normally accept “third party” complaints from unhappy readers, preferring to deal directly with any concerns raised by the subjects of a news article.

The commission said it would write to the Mail for a response even if Gately’s family did not make a formal complaint.

The article was published the day before the funeral of the Boyzone singer, who died on the Spanish island of Majorca.

It sparked a furious reaction, with widespread discussions on social networking sites, such as Twitter, which encouraged people to make a complaint. Actor Stephen Fry was among those mobilising action.

The PCC said it was engaging with Gately’s family, saying “it has pro-actively been in touch with representatives of Boyzone – who are in contact with Stephen Gately’s family”.

If there is no complaint from the family, the PCC said it would in “any case write to the Daily Mail for its response to the more general complaints from the public”. The regulator said it would make public its findings.

Ms Moir wrote that the death of the 33-year-old gay pop star after a night out in Majorca this month “strikes another blow to the happy-ever-after myth of civil partnerships”. The article concluded: “Once again, under the carapace of glittering, hedonistic celebrity, the ooze of a very different and more dangerous lifestyle has seeped out for all to see.”

Moir has defended herself, claiming suggestions of homophobia were “mischiev-ous” and that the backlash was a “heavily orchestrated internet campaign”.