Daily Star Apologises to Rockstar
Tabloid admits wrongdoing and pays damages.Published: 9:22, 24/07/2010 by Peter [Colossalblue].
Remember Jerry Lawton, the journalist who made up a story about “Grand Theft Auto: Rothbury” and then lied to a grieving grandmother to get quotes? Well this morning the Daily Star, Mr Lawton’s employers and the publishers of that invented story, have admitted they were wrong. The British tabloid has accepted that there was no accuracy in the story, that they didn’t do even the most basic of fact-checking and that the article was entirely incorrect.
The publication has posted a public apology to Rockstar. They also say they’ve paid “substantial damages” which Rockstar will be giving to charity (which is nice of them) and fully retracted the story in a statement which, in part, reads:
We made no attempt to check the accuracy of the story before publication and did not contact Rockstar Games prior to publishing the story. We also did not question why a best selling and critically acclaimed fictional games series would choose to base one of their most popular games on this horrifying real crime event.
It is now accepted that there were never any plans by Rockstar Games to publish such a game and that the story was false. We apologise for publishing the story using a mock-up of the game cover, our own comments on the matter and soliciting critical comments from a grieving family member.
We think that it takes a certain amount of honour to accept you were wrong and apologise. We’d like to congratulate the Daily Star for having the decency to admit their appalling journalistic practice in this instance and apologise for their mistake. Now, will Jerry Lawton show similar respect for truth and decency by apologising for his FaceBook tirade against gamers?
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24/07/2010 at 09:26
Member since: Feb 2009
Would’ve preferred the money to have gone to the family member, to be honest. Charity is a good alternative though.
24/07/2010 at 10:47
Member since: Dec 2009
I agree, i’d like to know if the grandmother has been compensated for such an insensitive way of making up a story about this ordeal.
24/07/2010 at 09:31
Member since: May 2009
Wonder how obvious the apology is, is it in the daily paper?! Someone should get a serious blocking for just letting the story go to print! What are editors for again?
24/07/2010 at 09:54
Member since: Forever
The original story was online only (I think) so it’s fitting that the apology is too.
Scary that not even the most basic fact-checking process was adhered to but at least they’ve apologised. More than Alan Titchmarsh and his production team ever did for their unfounded and inaccurate attack.
24/07/2010 at 11:59
Member since: Feb 2010
The Alan Titchmarsh ‘debate’ was so 1 sided it makes me laugh Titchmarsh didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, julie peasgood saying ‘video games promote sexism, racism and violence’and kelvin McKenzie joining in the tirade with a comment about the james bulger killers. yet Peasgood ‘starred’ in a video game and did a segment on Titchmarsh’s show about sex at 3 o clock in the afternoon. Tim Ingham of computerandvideogames.com wants a medal for how he tried to defend our hobby when he was being viciously attacked from the other 3 and an entire studio audience booing him. Titchmarsh and his producers aswell as Peasgood and McKenzie should get off their high horses and apologise for as you say CB ‘their unfounded and inaccurate attack’
24/07/2010 at 09:34
Member since: Aug 2008
At least they can admit their mistake and didn’t fill it with caveats or try to offset blame. Respect for that and let’s hope that tool Lawton has the decency to do the right thing too
24/07/2010 at 09:35
Member since: Feb 2009
This should be on national tv news. Horrendous story. The sad truth is most of the people that read the story probably still don’t know it was a lie. What’s the chamber they’re going to read this apology?
24/07/2010 at 09:37
Member since: Jul 2009
“chance” not “chamber”? What a delightful misspelling if so. Chamber… it’s such a lovely word. I’m going to crowbar that into my meeting today. :-)
24/07/2010 at 13:02
Member since: Jun 2009
You could say you have been listening to Coal Chamber
24/07/2010 at 09:47
Member since: May 2009
“Chamber”?
But, who gives a shit about Daily Star readers anyway?
24/07/2010 at 10:05
Member since: Feb 2009
Well pointed out guys. That’s my phone’s predictive messaging at it again.
24/07/2010 at 09:36
Member since: Jul 2009
I’d like to take the high ground here but it’s tricky. My real reply is this:
I should f***king hope so. What they did wasn’t unprofessional or even amateurish. It was utterly disgraceful and brought UK tabloid journalism down another notch. Didn’t think it was possible? Neither did I.
These bastards make so much money that I believe most tabloids have money set aside for libel cases as they know it’s worth reaching into the u-bend and pulling out a big ol’ lie-dukey instead of checking into things and realising that it was completely unfounded and void of truth.
If they’re not swapping political sides for fun or mocking celebrities who put two pounds on during their lives at some point, they’re sitting around a table and literally making shit up.
Scum of the Earth, cb. Scum of the Earth.
24/07/2010 at 09:52
Member since: Apr 2010
Well said, made all the better by the fact that thanks to your avatar I read all your posts out with Stewie’s voice. :D
24/07/2010 at 09:42
Member since: Mar 2010
Haha excellent just a shame the general moronic public will miss this! The Star is one crap paper, hell even Page 3 is full of mingers nowadays….
24/07/2010 at 10:19
Member since: Forever
Everything I wanted to say
24/07/2010 at 13:42
Member since: Feb 2009
What utter fucking nonsense, the paper may be shit, the journalism may be dreadful, but i’m sorry, you cannot knock the page 3 girls, there are some absolute stunners on there.
24/07/2010 at 10:28
Member since: Jan 2009
another opportunity taken by the gutter press to drag our favourite hobby/pastime through the mud. come to think of it a large chunk of mainstream journalism is just plain wrong about gaming in general. Sad thing is – the Star have surely influenced some of their readership in believing this kind of crap.
The guy who invented the article should be sacked – he’s no journalist, he’s a tw@. And if anyone profited from the pain and misery caused by raul moats doings then its the “journalist”
24/07/2010 at 10:38
Member since: Feb 2010
He got what he wanted…
Before he was a nobody, Now – people know his name.
Why do so many people feel the need to be KNOWN, no matter who they offend, hurt or kill.
25/07/2010 at 13:25
Member since: Feb 2009
You have hit the nail on the head mate , I think he was looking to make a name for himself .
24/07/2010 at 10:49
Member since: Feb 2010
Rockstar could now release a suitably titled piece of DLC for GTA4, something along the lines of ‘Rip the editor a new star’. Where Mr Bellic deals out justice in his own inimitable well researched, thought provoking and compassionate way.
24/07/2010 at 15:12
Member since: Apr 2010
By writing a scathing letter.
24/07/2010 at 11:24
Member since: Aug 2009
Nice of them to give the money to Charity
24/07/2010 at 23:40
Member since: Oct 2009
agreed, should not have ran the story in the first place.