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Fired Columnist Angela Haggerty back at Scottish paper after Rangers controversy

Angela Haggerty, one of the two Scottish Herald writers fired last month, is back at the Glasgow-based daily newspaper. Haggerty lost her job after tweeting in support of fellow columnist Graham Spiers who was fired, as iMediaEthics reported last month.

“After careful consideration – and representations from many involved – we were satisfied  that Angela did not set out to deliberately undermine the apology,” the Herald’s editor Magnus Llewellin told iMediaEthics.

Haggerty tweeted last month about her reinstatement at the newspaper, the BBC noted, writing, “Delighted to say I’ll be returning to my column in @newsundayherald from this Sunday. Smashing.”

The Herald also tweeted about her return, writing:

As iMediaEthics previously reported, Spiers’ December column claimed a director of local soccer team Rangers Football Club liked a song that promoted sectarian violence against Catholics.

The Herald apologized for the column because the claim was possibly defamatory. Spiers blogged critically of the apology and was fired, and Haggerty got brought into the controversy with her tweet offering “solidarity with” him. The Herald said at the time it had to fire Spiers for undermining the apology and Haggerty had to get the axe because she also undermined it.

iMediaEthics has written to Haggerty for comment.