2021 starts along similar lines to 2020 for right-wing paper
The Jewish Chronicle has started 2021 in a similar way to its track record in 2020 – with an out of court settlement.
Last year, the paper paid undisclosed damages to Liverpool pensioner Audrey White for a ‘litany of lies’ claiming she had: been repeatedly warned by the Labour party for bullying; falsely claimed a right-wing councillor was being investigated by police; lied in order to rejoin the party and aggressively interrupted her constituency’s Jewish then-MP when a recording proved she had been invited to speak and the MP had been able to continue speaking in a relaxed manner. The Chronicle was also hammered by IPSO for its conduct.
Later in the year, the same rag had to apologise and pay ‘substantial’ damages for ‘completely unfounded’ accusations against a Muslim teacher and Labour councillor, after it claimed she had launched a ‘vicious’ antisemitic protest against Luciana Berger, another former Labour MP.
These pay-outs followed an earlier settlement with a Palestinian charity for accusing it of links to terrorism.
And now the paper has had to make yet another out-of-court payment, this time after it used an image – having yet another ‘go’ at Audrey White – taken by award-winning, Liverpool-based film-maker and photographer Phil Maxwell, without his permission.
Following negotiations with lawyers representing the Jewish Chronicle photographer Mr Maxwell has accepted an out of court settlement for an ‘undisclosed’ amount following the unauthorised publication of a photograph he took of Audrey White.
He told the SKWAWKBOX:
Following the offer made by the Jewish Chronicle I’ve agreed not to take the matter to court. When Audrey White drew my attention to the photograph I was shocked that the Jewish Chronicle had breached copyright by using my photograph in an article written by Lee Harpin.
I work closely with Audrey White as a member of the Merseyside Pensioners Association and have been appalled at the false allegations made against her by the Jewish Chronicle. They settled out of court with Audrey and now they’ve had to do the same with me. As a member of the NUJ I’m delighted with this settlement as it shows that publications like the Chronicle are not above the law. Publishing photographs without permission robs photojournalists of their income. I hope this case will discourage the Jewish Chronicle from breaking the law in the future.”
Chronicle editor Stephen Pollard was contacted for comment about the misuse of the photograph, but did not respond.
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