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07/09/2012
Sun Journalist Claims Editor Wrote Controversial Hillsborough Headline
Ahead of the release of official papers on the Hillsborough disaster on Wednesday 12, 23 years ago, the Sun journalists who reported it for the tabloid has said he was “aghast” when he say the headline.
Harry Arnold wrote a story alleging drunken Liverpool fans abused victims and police during the Hillsborough disaster.
He has now told the BBC that his story had been written in a "fair and balanced way" and that the controversial claims in the story had been "allegations".
It was editor Kelvin MacKenzie who wrote the headline "The Truth", according to Mr Arnold
In a programme fro the BBC, called Hillsborough: Searching for the Truth, Mr Arnold says: "On the Sun, Kelvin MacKenzie was the rather controversial editor at the time. He liked to write his own headlines.
"He wrote the headline 'The Truth', and the reason I know that is I was about to leave the newsroom when I saw him drawing up the front page.
"I'd never used the words the truth, "this is the truth about the Hillsborough Disaster" I'd merely written, I hoped and I still believe, in a balanced and fair way.
"So I said to Kelvin MacKenzie, "You can't say that".
"And he said 'Why not?' and I said 'because we don't know that it's the truth. This is a version of 'the truth'.
"And he brushed it aside and said 'Oh don't worry. I'm going to make it clear that this is what some people are saying'.
"And I walked away thinking, well I'm not happy with the situation.
"But the fact is reporters don't argue with an editor.
"And in particular, you don't argue with an editor like Kelvin MacKenzie."
The documents relating to the Hillsborough disaster will be released at Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral on 12 September.
The government and police documents will be released in conjunction with a report from the Hillsborough Independent Panel.
(H)
Harry Arnold wrote a story alleging drunken Liverpool fans abused victims and police during the Hillsborough disaster.
He has now told the BBC that his story had been written in a "fair and balanced way" and that the controversial claims in the story had been "allegations".
It was editor Kelvin MacKenzie who wrote the headline "The Truth", according to Mr Arnold
In a programme fro the BBC, called Hillsborough: Searching for the Truth, Mr Arnold says: "On the Sun, Kelvin MacKenzie was the rather controversial editor at the time. He liked to write his own headlines.
"He wrote the headline 'The Truth', and the reason I know that is I was about to leave the newsroom when I saw him drawing up the front page.
"I'd never used the words the truth, "this is the truth about the Hillsborough Disaster" I'd merely written, I hoped and I still believe, in a balanced and fair way.
"So I said to Kelvin MacKenzie, "You can't say that".
"And he said 'Why not?' and I said 'because we don't know that it's the truth. This is a version of 'the truth'.
"And he brushed it aside and said 'Oh don't worry. I'm going to make it clear that this is what some people are saying'.
"And I walked away thinking, well I'm not happy with the situation.
"But the fact is reporters don't argue with an editor.
"And in particular, you don't argue with an editor like Kelvin MacKenzie."
The documents relating to the Hillsborough disaster will be released at Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral on 12 September.
The government and police documents will be released in conjunction with a report from the Hillsborough Independent Panel.
(H)
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