The Observer corrected its Oct. 2 review of Julian Assange’s “unauthorised autobioraphy” after the WikiLeaks leader complained to the UK Press Complaints Commission, according to note on the PCC’s website. The Observer is the Sunday sister newspaper for the UK Guardian.
The Observer’s review reported that Assange had “criticised” the autobiography’s ghostwriter, Andrew O’Hagan, but Assange said “his criticisms of the book were directed exclusively at the publisher.” As we have written, the autobiography was published without Assange’s consent after a dispute between the publisher Canongate and Assange.
The correction, published Feb. 12 on the Observer’s corrections page and on the article, reads:
“Julian Assange has asked us to make it clear that, contrary to our review of “Julian Assange: The Unauthorised Autobiography’ (Books, 2 October, 2011), he did not “criticise author Andrew O’Hagan’s writing”. He says his criticisms of the book were directed at the publisher, Canongate. He wishes to underline that he admires Mr O’Hagan’s writing.”
We wrote March 8 when the Press Complaints Commission announced it was closing and being replaced with a transition body.
Assange previously complained to the PCC over separate review of the autobiography by former WikiLeaks staff member and current Guardian writer James Ball. The PCC rejected Assange’s complaint that the Guardian reporter’s review made “reference to ‘charges’ against” Assange when he hasn’t been charged in Sweden. The review was published in the New Statesman. Read more about that case here.