Press Ombudsman receives 52 complaints about Covid-19 reporting

Of the complaints dealt with, 204 referred to national newspapers, 27 to online-only news publications, and 23 to local newspapers.

Members of the public made 52 complaints in relation to media coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic to the Press Ombudsman last year, although just one complaint was upheld in relation to a breach of privacy.

That’s according to the 2020 annual report of the Press Ombudsman Peter Feeney, who received a total of 347 complaints last year, an increase on complaints in 2019 (252).

Mr Feeney told RTÉ Radio that in the main complaints about Covid coverage related to privacy issues or came from people with different views on the public health crisis, such as on vaccines.

“If you look at the complaints about Covid, only one was upheld, which I think does suggest that the newspapers here in Ireland got the reportage about correct,” Mr Feeney said. 

They got a good and accurate level of coverage.

Print and broadcast media, he said, rose to the challenge of reporting during the pandemic in contrast to the “huge volume” of misinformation published on social media and other online platforms.

Getting the balance right and regulating online media, Mr Feeney said, was something the new Media Authority of Ireland would be tasked with in the future.

Of 27 press complaints decided on last year, the Ombudsman upheld seven, while another 25 complaints were resolved through the Ombudsman’s conciliation service.

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Of the complaints dealt with, 204 referred to national newspapers, 27 to online-only news publications, and 23 to local newspapers.

Truth and accuracy, children, prejudice and privacy were the key issues raised.

Last year the Press Council also issued five advisory notices to media outlets to take extra care when reporting on specific issues.

One notice was issued following a request from the National Suicide Research Foundation, which was concerned about the potential effect of controversial Eminem lyrics on vulnerable young people.

Another notice related to the use of terminology when reporting on the prosecution of sexual offences against children.