Mail buries apology to Sophie Dahl

In May, Sophie Dahl launched a libel action against the Daily Mail over an article written on 31 December 2009 by Liz Jones:

A writ filed at the High Court says the Mail’s article suggested Dahl had previously brought personal legal proceedings against the column’s author, Liz Jones, when she was the editor of fashion magazine Marie Claire for "having done nothing more than simply (and accurately) describe her as being ‘realistically curvy’".

The writ says this passage of the article was understood to have meant Dahl had acted “like a petty-minded and overly sensitive prima donna”.

Press Gazette added:

According to the writ, she is seeking aggravated damages, in part, as the paper failed to apologise to her or respond to a letter of complaint.

Today, the Mail has, finally, apologised:

On 31 December 2009 an article by Liz Jones headed 'March of Anorexia Chic' stated she had been sued by Sophie Dahl for describing her as 'realistically curvy' in a magazine. This was incorrect. In fact Ms Dahl had sued for breach of contract in a claim that was settled out of court. We apologise to Ms Dahl.

There is no mention of this apology on the Mail's homepage. Given how prominently the Mail always places links to Jones' columns, this simply looks like yet another example of a newspaper burying an apology.

'Coincidental overlaps'

The Skimmer is suspicious of a Daily Mail article that has 'coincidental overlaps' with an earlier piece by the Spectator's Ed Howker:

We at The Spectator have no doubt that the Daily Mail reporter did actually visit Rochdale. It's just that her material looks as if it could have been copied from Ed's Coffee House post.

For example:

Coffee House: "The streets are litterless ... the only things blooming on the estate are the flower boxes."
Mail: "The streets of Lower Falinge estate ... no litter on the pavements and window boxes bloomed outside."

Coffee House: "The other major retailer is a betting shop. A local cafe offers a £4.70 breakfast that includes a can of Stella."
Mail: "Of the shops and pubs that aren't boarded up the one attracting the most custom yesterday was the bookmakers, while the cafe offers a £4.70 breakfast that includes a can of Stella."