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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Times admits Hillsborough 'mistake' after protest prompts front page change | Times admits Hillsborough 'mistake' after protest prompts front page change |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A mutiny by the sports desk and an overwhelmingly negative reaction on social media prompted the Times to change its front page on Tuesday night to include the verdict of the inquest into the Hillsborough stadium disaster. | A mutiny by the sports desk and an overwhelmingly negative reaction on social media prompted the Times to change its front page on Tuesday night to include the verdict of the inquest into the Hillsborough stadium disaster. |
| The Hillsborough verdict was not on the front page of the first edition, but a picture of a man shovelling snow was replaced with an image of relatives of the families of the 96 who died. The masthead was changed to highlight coverage inside the newspaper under the heading: “Hillsborough: an end at last to the smears and lies”. | The Hillsborough verdict was not on the front page of the first edition, but a picture of a man shovelling snow was replaced with an image of relatives of the families of the 96 who died. The masthead was changed to highlight coverage inside the newspaper under the heading: “Hillsborough: an end at last to the smears and lies”. |
| Such was the strength of internal and external feeling that the Times, along with its News Corp stablemate the Sun, had ignored the story that 96 people were unlawfully killed that it put out a statement confessing to a cock-up rather than conspiracy. | Such was the strength of internal and external feeling that the Times, along with its News Corp stablemate the Sun, had ignored the story that 96 people were unlawfully killed that it put out a statement confessing to a cock-up rather than conspiracy. |
| “We made a mistake with the front page of our first edition, and we fixed it for the second edition,” said the statement released on Twitter. | “We made a mistake with the front page of our first edition, and we fixed it for the second edition,” said the statement released on Twitter. |
| John Witherow, the editor, also told the Guardian: “We made a mistake. We put it right.” | John Witherow, the editor, also told the Guardian: “We made a mistake. We put it right.” |
| Related: Hillsborough inquest verdict: the front pages | |
| Insiders dismissed any suggestion that a visit by ultimate owner Rupert Murdoch to the Times newsroom on Tuesday, the day of the verdict, had anything to do with the editorial decision. | Insiders dismissed any suggestion that a visit by ultimate owner Rupert Murdoch to the Times newsroom on Tuesday, the day of the verdict, had anything to do with the editorial decision. |
| Murdoch’s Sun has been repeatedly criticised for running a story after the disaster under the headline “The Truth” that accused Liverpool fans of being responsible for the tragedy. | Murdoch’s Sun has been repeatedly criticised for running a story after the disaster under the headline “The Truth” that accused Liverpool fans of being responsible for the tragedy. |
| Times staffers in the sports department joined others on Twitter expressing their outrage over the decision to demote the story about the vindication of a 27-year campaign for justice to an inside spread and the sports pages. Such was the strength of feeling following the first edition that one person close to the sports department said it amounted to “mutiny”. | Times staffers in the sports department joined others on Twitter expressing their outrage over the decision to demote the story about the vindication of a 27-year campaign for justice to an inside spread and the sports pages. Such was the strength of feeling following the first edition that one person close to the sports department said it amounted to “mutiny”. |
| “To say there’s anger about it is an understatement,” he added. | “To say there’s anger about it is an understatement,” he added. |
| Tony Barrett, Merseyside football writer for the Times, won praise online on Wednesday after he apologised for his paper’s failure to cover the story. He later flew to Madrid with the Liverpool team. | Tony Barrett, Merseyside football writer for the Times, won praise online on Wednesday after he apologised for his paper’s failure to cover the story. He later flew to Madrid with the Liverpool team. |
| To everyone who's been let down I'm so sorry. | To everyone who's been let down I'm so sorry. |
| Sources said those who complained about the paper’s front page included Henry Winter, the paper’s highly paid football star writer who was hired from the Telegraph, the sports editor and the head of sport. | Sources said those who complained about the paper’s front page included Henry Winter, the paper’s highly paid football star writer who was hired from the Telegraph, the sports editor and the head of sport. |
| Oliver Kay, chief football correspondent at the Times, first tweeted his support for the second edition change before commenting on the Times’s statement. | Oliver Kay, chief football correspondent at the Times, first tweeted his support for the second edition change before commenting on the Times’s statement. |
| Statement from @thetimes recognising "mistake" re 1st-edition coverage of Hillsborough. I'm pleased to see this https://t.co/amydHNm7qa | Statement from @thetimes recognising "mistake" re 1st-edition coverage of Hillsborough. I'm pleased to see this https://t.co/amydHNm7qa |
| Former England captain Gary Lineker was among those who complained about the incident on Twitter. | Former England captain Gary Lineker was among those who complained about the incident on Twitter. |
| As disgusting as it is unsurprising. They have no shame. https://t.co/qKnngxoynh | As disgusting as it is unsurprising. They have no shame. https://t.co/qKnngxoynh |
| Related: The Sun didn't think Hillsborough verdict merited front page coverage | Related: The Sun didn't think Hillsborough verdict merited front page coverage |
| David Walsh, chief sports writer at the Sunday Times, tweeted his response to a decision he called a “shocking misjudgment”. | David Walsh, chief sports writer at the Sunday Times, tweeted his response to a decision he called a “shocking misjudgment”. |
| I live in a part of England that receives first edition of The Times. Failure to put Hillsborough on front page a shocking misjudgement. | I live in a part of England that receives first edition of The Times. Failure to put Hillsborough on front page a shocking misjudgement. |
| A spokesperson for The Times said: “The Times led with Hillsborough coverage on all our digital editions throughout the day. This morning we have covered it extensively in the paper with two spreads, the back page, a top leader and an interactive on the victims. | A spokesperson for The Times said: “The Times led with Hillsborough coverage on all our digital editions throughout the day. This morning we have covered it extensively in the paper with two spreads, the back page, a top leader and an interactive on the victims. |
| The paper’s decision to dedicate the front page to four other stories and a masthead promoting “status handbags” was in marked contrast to its response in 2012 when an independent panel produced a report that represented the first official vindication for the campaigners. | The paper’s decision to dedicate the front page to four other stories and a masthead promoting “status handbags” was in marked contrast to its response in 2012 when an independent panel produced a report that represented the first official vindication for the campaigners. |
| Then, when the paper was edited by James Harding, the paper splashed on the news and went on to allow its then football correspondent Tony Evans to criticise the Sun the following Saturday. Evans, the paper’s long-standing Liverpudlian football editor with oversight of the paper’s The Game supplement, quit last November to go freelance. | Then, when the paper was edited by James Harding, the paper splashed on the news and went on to allow its then football correspondent Tony Evans to criticise the Sun the following Saturday. Evans, the paper’s long-standing Liverpudlian football editor with oversight of the paper’s The Game supplement, quit last November to go freelance. |
| The Sun made no comment on its decision to run a story about the prime minister and his team using WhatsApp as its front page splash. | The Sun made no comment on its decision to run a story about the prime minister and his team using WhatsApp as its front page splash. |