Covid articles and social media campaigns drive 50% rise in Press Ombudsman complaints

“The pandemic has underlined the importance of objective, thorough reporting, and of well-informed expert comment and analysis," Chair of the Press Council Rory Montgomery has said.

There was a nearly 50% increase in complaints to the Office of the Press Ombudsman last year, largely driven by coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The office considered a total of 527 complaints in 2021, compared to 347 complaints the previous year, with about 200 of last year’s complaints relating to coverage of the pandemic.