The Australian Press Council has ruled a series of 25 articles published by the Sydney Morning Herald related to icare and its former CEO John Nagle did not breach standards.

Mr Nagle had complained over the articles published between July 27 and October 1 last year, saying the publication was conducting a campaign intended to discredit him and the tenor of the reporting incorrectly implied corruption or impropriety.

The articles concerned the performance of icare and its financial position, and criticism of the system by injured workers. They also reported concerns raised about Mr Nagle during a NSW Parliamentary inquiry.

“The council notes that it is legitimate journalistic practice to comment on parliamentary inquiries and accepts that the publication’s reporting was based on an accurate record of comments made at the NSW parliamentary inquiry, including by the complainant,” the press council said in its determination.

“This includes reporting on the complainant’s failure to properly declare a conflict of interest; that his business trip ought to have been included in icare’s annual report; and comments concerning his response to questions about his salary.”

The decision, published in the newspaper, notes that Mr Nagle was given a fair opportunity to respond to the matters concerning him but did not pursue it, and the council finds no breach of its general principles.

The adjudication acknowledges the newspaper’s offer to publish a footnote clarifying that the parliamentary inquiry was later informed that the value of a contract involving Mr Nagle’s wife was $772,524, while it amended an article that stated Mr Nagle had refused to disclose his salary.

Mr Nagle had said a figure of more than $800,000 was inaccurate, he was not involved in the hiring of his wife or her remuneration, and that he had taken questions about his salary at the parliamentary hearing on notice.