On 7 March 2010, we published an article by Zoe Margolis. In part of the first edition of the newspaper and online, this article carried the headline, “I was a hooker who became an agony aunt”.
This was written by the newspaper not Ms Margolis. We accept that Ms Margolis is not and never has been “a hooker” or otherwise involved in the sex industry.
The wording of the headline was a mistake and seriously defamatory of Ms Margolis. We offer our sincere apologies to Ms Margolis for the damage to her reputation and the distress and embarrassment which she has suffered.
Given that they hurriedly changed the headline online and in later editions of the print edition, it seems odd that they've waited five days to publish the above.
Moreover, have they released it on a Friday afternoon because that's a good time to bury bad news?
This is the second clarification this week (see also Mail and Facebook) to appear quickly after the original article appeared. In both cases, the complainants went through lawyers, not the PCC.
That's not a coincidence.
I wonder if they were confusing her with Belle de Jour? Either way, it's astonishing that the headline was initially allowed to appear.
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