Independent Media | Campaigning Journalism
The Telegraph is under fire for refusing to take down a damaging ‘fake news’ story
The Telegraph is under fire for failing to take down and apologise for an incorrect and damaging story on its website, leading people to accuse it of ‘fake news’.
On 30 July, at 4:21pm, it published a story with the headline:
Just hours afterwards, a correction was issued by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to say that the teenager was not involved in anti-fracking protests:
Correction to A Shared Future report. The report into extremism published today had a mistake in one of te case studies. Read the statement👇. The (corrected) report is at https://t.co/7PSZoTt36K pic.twitter.com/s99uFTqJlk
— Greater Manchester Combined Authority (@greatermcr) July 30, 2018
Read on...
Support us and go ad-free
The Guardian, which had published a similar story, quickly amended its original article. At the time of writing on 31 July, the original story is still on the Telegraph‘s website.
Reaction
The refusal to take down the story has angered people and led them to accuse the Telegraph of ‘fake news’:
.@FranMarshallDT .@Telegraph have published #FakeNews https://t.co/fc58Fl0U0D
Anti-fracking activists FALSELY ACCUSED of 'grooming' boy, 14. Police in Manchester say detail of who targeted the boy was altered in report on extremism by @greatermcrhttps://t.co/MmQrE8ewWx@IpsoNews pic.twitter.com/urSDKiNhgw— Lock The Gate to Shale Gas (@LockedGateLancs) July 31, 2018
Many people directed tweets towards the Telegraph and the journalist to ask them to correct the story:
Hello @FranMarshallDT @Telegraph @guardian @IpsoNews @greatermcr are you ashamed of what you have been part of? Either through neglect @IpsoNews. A very suspicious ‘mistake’ @greatermcr. Pathetic journalism @guardian or knowingly telling lies @Telegraph? https://t.co/ahkdUuVFeJ
— Jamie Kelsey Fry (@JamieKelseyFry) July 31, 2018
We urge you to tweet @FranMarshallDT who posted a @Telegraph story that is a lie linking anti #fracking activists to pedophiles. The story has been proved a lie yesterday evening by the actual source @greatermcr who have said they ‘made a mistake’. Yet @Telegraph still post it.
— Occupy London (@OccupyLondon) July 31, 2018
@Telegraph Morning! Please can you remove your #FakeNews referring to #fracking Thankshttps://t.co/2JAvdt4jdW
— FrackFreeSomerset (@FrackFreeSom) July 31, 2018
@FranMarshallDT @JamieKelseyFry I was shocked to see that your fake news story is still on the @Telegraph website this a.m. https://t.co/CgkHqi9DWD with no correction. Tell me I won't find it in the print edition today please! At least @guardian corrected their story when told.
— Refracktion (@Refracktion) July 31, 2018
And as Spinwatch pointed out:
Fifteen hours later still no sign of a correction by @Telegraph and @FranMarshallDT on 'fracking grooming' fake news story? https://t.co/sYy8LgCnT2
— Spinwatch (@Spinwatch) July 31, 2018
Take it down!
At the time of writing, the article has been live for 20 hours. There can be no excuses for it remaining. While the correction issued by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority raises a whole host of other issues, the Telegraph is knowingly perpetuating a false and damaging narrative that anti-fracking protesters ‘groomed’ a 14-year-old.
This cannot be acceptable. The paper urgently needs to correct its mistake and apologise.
Get Involved!
– Support The Canary so we can keep holding the powerful to account.
Featured image via Flickr/HonestReporting
We need your help to keep speaking the truth
Every story that you have come to us with; each injustice you have asked us to investigate; every campaign we have fought; each of your unheard voices we amplified; we do this for you. We are making a difference on your behalf.
Our fight is your fight. You’ve supported our collective struggle every time you gave us a like; and every time you shared our work across social media. Now we need you to support us with a monthly donation.
We have published nearly 2,000 articles and over 50 films in 2021. And we want to do this and more in 2022 but we don’t have enough money to go on at this pace. So, if you value our work and want us to continue then please join us and be part of The Canary family.
In return, you get:
* Advert free reading experience
* Quarterly group video call with the Editor-in-Chief
* Behind the scenes monthly e-newsletter
* 20% discount in our shop
Almost all of our spending goes to the people who make The Canary’s content. So your contribution directly supports our writers and enables us to continue to do what we do: speaking truth, powered by you. We have weathered many attempts to shut us down and silence our vital opposition to an increasingly fascist government and right-wing mainstream media.
With your help we can continue:
* Holding political and state power to account
* Advocating for the people the system marginalises
* Being a media outlet that upholds the highest standards
* Campaigning on the issues others won’t
* Putting your lives central to everything we do
We are a drop of truth in an ocean of deceit. But we can’t do this without your support. So please, can you help us continue the fight?
Support us 
