Concerns have been raised over public transparency in Northern Ireland's councils as figures suggest a fifth of business is conducted behind closed doors.
Northern Ireland has 11 councils which have responsibilities ranging from leisure facilities to bin collections. In one meeting in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council in October, two-thirds of the agenda business was in closed session. The council cited grounds including "harassment" - an Ipso clause devised following concerns over paparazzi after the 1997 death of Princess Diana.A Sinn Féin councillor also accused the newspaper "fat-shaming" over an image which depicted him as the children's book character The Very Hungry Caterpillar.Impartial Reporter editor Rodney Edwards said it was an "affront to press freedom".
"There are also considerable inconsistencies between councils around how the rules are applied and how or even if the restrictions can be lifted," she said.