PCC upholds Dannii Minogue complaint

The Press Complaints Commission has upheld complaints from Dannii Minogue about stories in The Mirror and Daily Record concerning her pregnancy.

Last month, the newspapers published stories that the X Factor judge was expecting her first child, despite not having had a 12-week scan.

The publications argued that the stories could be justified on the basis that the information was already in the public domain, following reports on the Sydney Morning Herald website and blogs.

In both cases, the Commission ruled that there had been "a regrettable lapse in editorial judgement" and a breach of Clause 3 (Privacy) of the Editors' Code of Practice.

The Commission claimed that the argument about Minogue's pregnancy no longer being private was incorrect, because the articles and blogs referenced were merely speculative.

"This was no more than common sense; otherwise, any reference online would represent automatic justification for a newspaper to publish otherwise intrusive material," it ruled.

The Commission director Stephen Abell added: "This case is an important reminder to editors of the high standards required by Clause 3 (Privacy) of the Code around health matters. The Commission's case law in this area make absolutely clear the care the PCC expects newspapers to take when considering stories about pregnancy."