Express corrects claim on Incapacity Benefit
When Northern and Shell withdrew from regulation by the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) Full Fact along with MPs and industry bodies raised concerns about the implications of the move for standards at the publisher's papers, including the Daily Express.
With the Express no longer covered by the editor's code, there is no independent adjudicator in cases of contentious reporting.
Today, there is a first sign that, regardless of the lack of regulatory oversight, the Express will act responsibly when dealing with credible complaints over inaccurate reports..
Earlier this month we pointed out how a report had inaccurately claimed the existence of official figures showing two million people on incapacity benefit were actually fit for work.
After a bit of cajoling, the Express has now removed this from the online version of the article.
We have asked that the paper follow this up with a printed correction, as we have seen in similar cases with the PCC, but at least the action already taken establishes an important principle — that a justifiable complaint to the paper will still be acted on.
With this marker laid down, we are now also seeking corrections to the errors we pointed out about Wednesday's front page splash on incapacity benefit.