Daily Mail apologises for calling Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust 'pro-terrorist'

25 Jul 2016 News

The Daily Mail has apologised for describing the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust as "pro-terrorist" and has clarified that the charity does not support or fund terrorism, following an article printed in May.

The Daily Mail had written on the 27 May about an advert produced pre-EU referendum by Operation Black Vote, an organisation which “exists to ensure we have greater racial justice and equality throughout the UK”.

The advert, produced by the organisation, was deemed by some as racist, and the article criticised both the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and Esmee Fairbairn for giving the organisation funding. It showed a white skinhead balanced on a see-saw with an older South Asian woman in a sari and the words: “A vote is a vote”.

The Daily Mail referred to JRCT as a “pro-terrorist charity” in the article.

The full clarification, which appeared in print as well as online, reads as follows: “The first edition headline on an article on May 27 about the funding of the organisation responsible for a controversial referendum advert referred to the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust as a 'pro-terrorist charity'.

“We are happy to make clear that the JRCT does not support or fund terrorism. We apologise for the error. We are also happy to clarify that, while the JRCT is one of two organisations providing core funding to Operation Black Vote, it had no prior knowledge of the advert and did not pay for it.”

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust said it would not be making any further comment.

 

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