Censure for women's mag's 'escapist' headlines

A complaint that the front cover headlines of a women's magazine did not reflect the substance of the articles inside has been upheld in a majority decision by the Press Council.

Trina Stevens complained that Woman's Day ran two headlines on its cover - "Posh pregnant again!" and "Jen's pregnant!" - that seemed to be incontrovertible statements of fact.

But the inside articles on the "pregnancies" of Victoria Beckham and Jennifer Aniston were based on rumours or speculation.

Ms Stevens complained that the magazine breached three of the Press Council's principles:

* Publications should not deliberately mislead or misinform readers by commission or omission.

* Publications should as far as possible make proper distinctions between reporting of facts and conjecture.

* Headlines, subheadings and captions should accurately and fairly convey the substance of the report.

The editor-in-chief of Woman's Day said the magazine did not set out to mislead anyone and the articles made a proper distinction between reporting facts and conjecture.

The headlines, overall, accurately and fairly conveyed the substance of the stories.

She said that to uphold the complaint would undermine not only freedom of expression but the "fun and gentle escapism" that consumers expect from magazines such as Woman's Day.

The Press Council said the majority view was that it was misleading to invent headlines when the related articles presented only rumour and gossip.

A minority dissenting view said it was not prepared to apply an "acid test of accuracy when the magazine's intent is a diet of gossip and escapism and, in the minority's view, not necessarily in facts".

"Indeed, it is impossible to do so," it said.

- NZPA