It's not a music story, but it's a pretty big media story. The Richard Desmond owned Daily Express and Daily Star have been forced to publish a grovelling front page apology to Kate and Gerry McCann, the parents of missing Madeleine McCann, for publishing over 100 stories which the couple claimed were "seriously defamatory".
Representatives of the McCann family claimed the two papers had started running ever increasingly suggestive yet speculative stories about their alleged involvement in the disappearance of their daughter, their conduct in trying to find their daughter, and other random claims about their private lives, ever since last summer. While most of their competitors remained non-committal and open minded on the story after the Portuguese authorities announced they were making the couple a kind of suspect in the case, the Express group papers gave increasing coverage to what was generally wild gossip about the couple's alleged guilt.
A number of media commentators had become increasingly critical of the papers' editorial standpoint on this story in recent months, though it was legal action undertaken on behalf of the couple by leading media law outfit Carter-Ruck that persuaded the tabloids to back down. They announced they would pay the couple £550,000 and publish the apology ahead of a High Court hearing on the matter. The money will be paid to the fund that is funding activities to try and find Madeline.
The apology posted on the Daily Star's website reads thus: "The Daily Star has made a wholehearted apology to Kate and Gerry McCann for stories suggesting the couple were responsible for, or may be responsible for, the death of their daughter Madeleine and for covering it up. We now recognise that such a suggestion is absolutely untrue and that Kate and Gerry are completely innocent of any involvement in their daughter's disappearance. As an expression of our regret we have now made a substantial donation to the Madeleine Fund in the hope that it helps efforts to find her. We sincerely apologise for any additional distress we have caused the family".
The McCann's legal man Adam Tudor confirmed to the High Court yesterday that an out of court settlement had been reached, saying: "There is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that Mr and Mrs McCann were responsible for the death of their daughter or that they were involved in any sort of cover-up, and there was no basis for Express Newspapers to allege otherwise. Equally, the allegations that Mr and Mrs McCann may have 'sold' Madeleine, and that they are involved in 'swinging' or wife swapping were entirely baseless. Naturally, the repeated publication of these utterly false and defamatory allegations has caused untold distress to Mr and Mrs McCann. Indeed, it is difficult to conceive of a more serious allegation than to be falsely accused of being responsible for the death of their own daughter".
A statement from the couple, who weren't at court, said: "We are pleased that Express Newspapers have today admitted the utter falsity of the numerous grotesque and grossly defamatory allegations that their titles published about us on a sustained basis over many months. The exceptional publication of these apologies, together with today's statement of full apology in open court before Mr Justice Eady, was the only just and proper response by Express Newspapers following our complaint".
The media commentators who had been most critical about the Express group are now speculating on the impact the complete editorial u-turn could have on the newspapers, given that it is basically an admission by their editors of gross misjudgement and over sensationalisation of serious stories. Such an admission probably won't really affect the Daily Star, but is a major credibility blow to the already struggling Express, which could see its readership and revenues further fall following the admission of fault. Time will tell if they're right.