The Vanishing Of The PCC

Following its ejection from the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) for failure to stump up its subs, it might be thought that there would be some comment on the event from Northern & Shell, owners of the Express and Star titles, but not a bit of it: the Express leads today on one of the title’s staples, pills and potential heart disease. The Daily Star is also stuck in a familiar rut: Katie Price aka Jordan (again).

In fact, a search of the Express and Daily Star websites reveals that there is no mention of the PCC anywhere. Neither is there any word of the PCC on Northern & Shell’s site, although you can see Richard “Dirty” Desmond’s leering face alongside the unintentionally hilarious assertion “benchmark of excellence”.

But, so what? Maybe this is an industry wide thing? Well, no it isn’t: the Guardian, which covered the parting of the ways between Desmond and the Rest, brings up lots of PCC related stories when its site is searched. Likewise the Maily Telegraph. And a good sheaf of results, too, from the Independent.

Even Rupe’s downmarket troops at the Super Soaraway Currant Bun will serve you up plenty of PCC hits, despite their typically poor grasp of English. And the domain of the legendarily foul mouthed Paul Dacre, despite their often tenuous relationship with facts, will at least record decisions of the PCC, even the Stephen Gately one.

So why no trace of the PCC at the Desmond Press? It must be pure coincidence – after all, Richard Desmond never interferes in the running of his newspapers. We know this because he said so in court. Under oath.