The Sun in Shame

Today, when buying my coffee this morning, I couldn't help but notice that The Sun looked odd next to all of the other red tops.

You can't tell when looking at the above, but trust me, when they are all next to each other, it was evident something was up.  I said to my coffee seller, "why is The Sun in mourning?" followed by "why is the front cover all black and white?"

I soon found out my answer.  They were rumbled humbled into finally apologising for their previous front page from 1989:

The tabloid's front page four days after the 1989 tragedy included unsubstantiated police claims that Liverpool fans had urinated on rescue workers and officers and pickpocketing victims.  SOURCE: The Telegraph

Over the years Kelvin MacKenzie had stayed steadfast that he stood by the front page that was printed when he was Editor, but now that the truth is out, he has proverbial egg on his face.  He has been pushed in to a corner to apologise, and apologise he has, but people are saying it is too little too late, and it is!

The Sun clearly wanted to dedicate a whole front page today, to show their humiliation, but some websites were expecting a quicker reaction yesterday.  We live in an online world now, and newspapers will have to learn that sometimes - in cases like this - they can't wait for the printing presses to churn!

And recently at a Hillsborough support group meeting all of The Sun's press were asked to leave.  Liverpool has not forgiven them for their error and who can blame them.  You know what, even if what they had printed had been true, it was grossly insensitive given the deaths that had just taken place, and on home soil too!  Is being sensationalist and selling papers worth that much?!??!

I am so happy that people power has seen this issue through the last 23 years, so that the report - that brings us the truth - has now become a reality.

This is a Hillsborough campaigner's reaction to Kelvin's apology.

This is an alternative mock-up front page I found on Twicsy - I don't know who to give credit to for it.  Does anyone know?

And now, due to the extent of the cover-up, it looks like an inquest is likely.

I hope the report has gone some way to bring closure to the families.

I am just sad that it has taken 23 years.  The truth may never have come out, if there were not passionate people driving this.

The panel found that 164 statements were doctored - including the removal of 116 negative comments about the leadership of the police - to push the blame for the tragedy onto the fans, Mr Cameron said.

Further revelations from the panel also found that 41 of the victims may have had a chance of survival if the emergency services had not delayed their response.

Shockingly, the report found that cops carried out criminal background checks on the victims in a warped bid to damage the victims' reputations.  Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4534061/Hillsborough-report-Cops-did-not-protect-victims-and-blamed-fans.html#ixzz26NzRLQth