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THE TIMES OF London newspaper has admitted it should have put coverage of the Hillsborough inquests on their front page today.
Yesterday, after two inquiries and 27 years of fighting, a jury at the inquests into the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans at an FA Cup semi-final on 15 April 1989 ruled that they were unlawfully killed.
While the ruling, which means criminal prosecutions may be sought, made international news and led the front pages of nearly every paper in Britain, it was absent from two.
The Sun, which in the days following the disaster published a front-page story headline “The Truth” that claimed fans urinated on police and stole from the dead, and its sister paper The Times.
While the Sun’s front page is not surprising, many felt that The Times would have led with the story, including the paper’s Merseyside football writer Tony Barrett.
In a statement today, the Rupert Murdoch-owned paper admitted not leading with the news was a mistake. They said that it had been rectified in its second edition.
While The Sun has not made a similar comment, the editor who ran the 1989 front page issued a statement apologising for it.
The Independent quotes Kelvin MacKenzie as saying the verdicts were an “important step in obtaining justice”.
“As I have said before, the headline I published was wrong and I am profoundly sorry for the hurt caused. Clearly, I was wrong to take the police’s version of events at face value and it is a mistake I deeply regret.”
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“I accept I was completely wrong to accept the police version of events”
What a deflective apology from McKenzie.
The Sun coverage was disgusting.
They accused Liverpool fans of stealing wallets from the dead. Never ever ever was there one shred of evidence produced. Ever.
Newspapers don’t deal in evidence. The Sun’s error was to totally accept police statements – about what happened – without verifying them.
After the Birmingham six and the Guildford four ,they accepted the police version of events, staggering!!!!
What other newspapers accepted the police lies and printed “The Truth” on its front page?
The Gardai are usually believed here too – and have frequently been wrong.
MOB. Evening Standard. Sheffield Star. Manchester Evening Post. Yorkshire Post. Amongst others. However, The Truth was not headlined.
South Yorkshire police chief just suspended!
Printing “THE TRUTH” on their front page is kind of the main point here. No other newspaper did that, the others you mentioned all made reference to “police claims”.
But they were also scurrilous in their condemnation of Liverpool fans. All on Google. However, the Sun was probably the worst.
Murdoch’s rags, wouldn’t you know. Hollow apologies and chucking blame at everyone but themselves to the attitudes that persisted towards people who were at Hillsborough on the day. A pox on anyone who buys the S*n and the Times.
And the police were blameless?
Well said Daisy…
Its a basic lack of moral acceptance, they don’t like admitting their past mistakes. Says everything you need to know about them as an institution.
Surprised the ‘Sun’ didn’t have a lead story about ‘a budgie eating a comedian’
I read that story last week.
It’s a sign of the Times.
Humour – BF?
Someone had to say it!
The Sun was boycotted on Merseyside and now it looks like their “sorry” was, and still is empty.
This is going to sound harsh, but I think people really need to start moving on. If they’re not going to say anything about it then they’re not going to, closure has come and people shouldn’t wait on a paper to comment on it especially when it gives them the opportunity to still be in the news for not doing so.
This gets a bigger commemoration every year than the anniversary of the 7/7 Islamic terror attacks.
I can’t quite work out if you’re a troll, bog ignorant or just plain thick Sciathain, so I’m going to go with all three.
Or someone just calling out your paranoid victim complex
Perhaps if you knew people who lost loved ones that day, as I do, and saw what they’ve had to endure for the last 27 years, you might have a different opinion. But hey, it’s 2016. Who needs empathy anymore when you can get twisted satisfaction out of trying to sound like an arsehole?
It’s very difficult to move on after what happened in Hillsborough. The horrific deaths/killings were compounded by lies, character assassinations, and denial of justice. Well done to those relatives for sticking to their guns and getting some element of justice on behalf of their loved ones.
Well seeing as both The Sun and The Times are owned by Murdoch and because the Sun is completely boycotted in Liverpool it’s not surprising that the Times would keep this off the front page in solidarity with its sister paper.
Editorial independence is a myth when newspapers are owned by megalomaniacs like Rupert Murdioch (or non-resident, Maltese citizen, bribe-master Denis O’Brien).
When was the last time the Irish Independent; Sunday Independent or Evening Herald featured a column calling for criminal prosecution to those named in the Moriarty Tribunal.
Careful lest you upset Liverpool FC and their army of ex-players and supporters working in the media. Was every other publication not enough coverage for them?
If you lost a child who just wanted to watch a football game and then read headlines about supporters robbing the dead and pissing on police men, you wouldn’t be so glib.
Good luck with your little life
John the complaint here is that there weren’t enough front page headlines, I didn’t see any headlines this morning discussing supporters robbing or pissing on the police.
Will you read the story before commenting with your prejudices you small minded little person. It is about Murdoch’s rags NOT mentioning the result when they were quite happy to denigrate the entire Liverpool support with their lies 27 years ago.
96 people died ,Jesus maybe you missed that bit,you piece of !!!!!!!.
What prat you are Sciathain.
My point stands. They scored a massive victory in the courts and received wall to wall coverage from 95% of media outlets but all they can do is bitch about the two who didn’t cover it on their front page.
I am far from a Liverpool fan, but what happened to those people & their families was horrendous. The Times & the Sun should be running grovelling apologies on their front pages for their part in this tragedy..
Your some muppet you are!!
Sciathán doesn’t quite get the importance of these newspapers issuing an apology or having it on their front pages today .
Sciathán Ceart the complaint here is about the lack of front news from two specific newspapers who screamed the loudest and made the most noise way back – but who now really couldn’t be arsed.
Sciathan Ceart – stop digging.
Also the Sun The news of the world said, that Liverpool fan urinates on dead , what a piece of filth yeah paper.
The South Yorkshire Police Chief has been suspended over Hillsborough: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-36154201
Oh here we go…….Jesus Wept
Does scrathin work for the sun
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