(Credit: RTE, screenshot)

Irish public broadcaster RTE published an unusual apology to football player Jake Doyle-Hayes. The apology said its mobile version of a January article was “vandalised by the inclusion of a rogue sentence which did not bear any relation whatsoever to Mr Doyle-Hayes.”

iMediaEthics has written to RTE to ask how the site was vandalized and what the rogue sentence was. We’ve not heard back yet.

The March 7 apology reads:

“On 31 January 2019 RTÉ published an article concerning Aston Villa and U19 Ireland International Jake Doyle-Hayes’ transfer on loan from Aston Villa Football Club to Cambridge United Football Club.

“Unbeknown to us, a mobile version of that article had been vandalised by the inclusion of a rogue sentence which did not bear any relation whatsoever to Mr Doyle-Hayes.

“The fact that this happened is highly regrettable and we apologise unreservedly to Mr Doyle-Hayes for the embarrassment and distress that this has caused, both to him and to his family.”