Chief Executive's Report May 2020

PRP17(20)

PRESS RECOGNITION PANEL BOARD

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT – MAY 2020

Meeting: by email Status: for noting

Lead responsibility: Susie Uppal, Contact details: 020 3443 7072 Chief Executive

Purpose

1. The purpose of this paper is to provide an update to the Board on Executive activity since the April 2020 CE report.

2. The Board is invited to note the contents of the Chief Executive’s report.

Executive summary

3. The Board is being updated in respect of organisational and financial matters.

Delivery updates

Finance update

4. A bank-reconciled set of management accounts as at 30 April 2020 is attached at Annex A. The deficit for the period to date is £4,995 against the year to date forecast of £8,133. This represents a positive variance of £3,178 compared to the year to date forecast.

Board recruitment update

5. The Green Park microsite with the details of the advert went live on 24 April 2020: https://www.green-park.co.uk/job/charites-and-social-enterprise/panel- members-press-recognition-panel/j257/. Green Park have implemented a targeted online social media recruitment campaign to reach the widest possible diverse audience. The advert is on the PRP website and has been promoted on the PRP’s Twitter account. I continue to have weekly catch-up calls with Green Park to monitor progress and a further update will be provided in the June CE report. page 1 of 3

6. I wrote to the Civil Service Commissioner on 14 May 2020 to provide information on the Board recruitment process so far. The letter is attached at Annex B with the Commissioner’s acknowledgment at Annex C.

IMPRESS update

7. Redacted.

8. Redacted.

Stakeholder update

9. The Chair wrote to John Whittingdale MP, Minister of State for Media and Data on 6 April 2020. The letter is attached at Annex F.

10. John Whittingdale MP responded on 11 May 2020. The letter is attached at Annex G.

Research update

11. Annex H includes an update on key external matters relevant to our work.

Implications

12. The implications of decisions taken by the Board as set out in this paper are as follows:

• Budget – There are no specific implications in addition to the issues referenced.

• Legislation – no specific implications.

• Resources – any resourcing considerations are referenced and there are no specific implications other than these.

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion – no specific implications.

Devolved nations

13. There are no implications/differences in relation to the areas of work covered in this paper and the devolved nations.

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Communications

14. There are no other issues to report which have communications implications, so far as I am aware.

Risks

15. There are a range of risks involved in the areas of work covered in this Paper.

16. A robust and defensible position in relation to the PRP’s finances is required in order to avoid reputational damage and to ensure compliance with HM Treasury’s Managing Public Money.

Recommendations

17. The Board is asked to note the contents of the Chief Executive’s report.

Attachments

Annex A - Management accounts as at 30 April 2020 Annex B - PRP letter to Civil Service Commissioner dated 14 May 2020 Annex C - Civil Service Commissioner letter dated 18 May 2020 Annex D - redacted Annex E - redacted Annex F - PRP letter to John Whittingdale MP dated 6 April 2020 Annex G - Letter from John Whittingdale MP dated 11 May 2020 Annex H - External matters update

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Press Recognition Panel Period ended 30 April 2020

1 Month to April 2020 Full year to March 2021

Actual Budget Variance Explanation Budget £ £ £ £

Income Subscription Fees 18,082 18,082 - 220,000 Bank Interest 176 240 64 2,880 Total Income 18,258 18,322 64 222,880

Expenditure Board and Committee costs Salaries & NIC 5,327 5,627 (300) 69,224 Travel & Subsistence - 20 (20) 240 Other costs - - - 3,600 Total Board and Committee Costs 5,327 5,647 (320) 73,064

Communications Publications - - - 9,600 Website and Upgrades 42 43 (1) 523 Total Communications Costs 42 43 (1) 10,123

Other costs Executive team costs 14,926 15,169 (243) 151,501 HR & Recruitment - 1,841 (1,841) Costs not yet incurred for recruitment 18,988 advertising and candidate expenses.

Office costs 443 548 (105) 6,641 Meeting rooms - 650 (650) Meeting room costs not incurred 5,700 during lockdown period. Travel & Subsistence - 20 (20) 240 Information Technology 345 351 (6) 5,207 Accountancy 1,747 1,777 (30) 24,692 Audit Fees - - - 12,000 Printing & Stationery - 20 (20) 1,090 Insurance 208 207 1 3,060 Legal - - - 30,000 Subscriptions & publications 168 170 (2) 2,094 Finance charges 7 12 (5) 144 Sundry expenses - - - 576 17,844 20,765 (2,921) 261,933

Total Expenditure 23,213 26,455 (3,242) 345,120

(Deficit) for the period (4,955) (8,133) 3,178 (122,240)

Reserves Bfwd 717,484 717,484 717,484 Reserves Cfwd 712,529 709,351 595,244 Press Recognition Panel Period ended 30 April 2020

Apr-20 Mar-20 £ £ £ £

Current Assets

Current account 136,763 159,222 Barclays account 710,938 710,763 Cash at bank 847,701 869,985

Prepayments 5,144 5,682 Accrued Income 175 175 Third Party Deposit 369 369 Sundry debtors 5,688 6,226

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Trade creditors 493 453 Deferred income 112,713 130,795 Credit card - - Social security and other taxes 5,848 4,809 Pensions 1,380 1,035 Sundry creditors and accruals 20,426 21,635 140,860 158,727

Net Current Assets 712,529 717,484

Funds brought forward

Funds bought forward at 31 March 717,484 787,947

Surplus/(deficit) for the period (4,955) (70,463)

712,529 717,484

Press Recognition Panel Mappin House 4 Winsley Street London W1W 8HF

Peter Lawrence OBE Chief Executive, Civil Service Commission 1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ

By email only 14 May 2020

Dear Peter,

Press Recognition Panel Board recruitment

I am writing to inform you of the process to date that the Press Recognition Panel (PRP) has undertaken for the recruitment and selection of two Board members.

The Board are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, open and merit based. Following the recommendations of its Nominations Committee, the Board agreed that the engagement of recruitment agencies that specialised in sourcing applicants from a diverse background, that potentially may not have necessarily considered applying, would clearly be beneficial. The merits of having an experienced and dedicated team to undertake the advertising and candidate search, strongly supported the use of an executive recruitment agency. Following a competitive tender exercise, the Board agreed at its meeting on 25 February 2020 to appoint Green Park Interim & Executive Ltd for the executive search and selection of two Board members.

Green Park have implemented a targeted online social media recruitment campaign to reach the widest possible diverse audience. Green Park have also created a bespoke microsite (an interactive replacement for the traditional candidate pack) where candidates can find information about the role and application process: https://search.green-park.co.uk/prp/.

The roles are also advertised on the Press Recognition Panel website and Twitter account. Applications will close at 9:00am on Tuesday 2 June 2020. Following the longlist and shortlist meetings in June and July 2020, the final Panel interviews are scheduled for Wednesday 16 September 2020.

The Selection Panel will consist of the Chair of the Board, David Wolfe QC, Board member Carolyn Regan with the Independent Member of the Nominations Committee, Cindy Butts, in attendance in an advisory capacity.

I continue to have weekly dialogues with the recruitment company to ensure the effectiveness of the advertising strategy. We continue to closely monitor the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the process and we will review at the closure of the advert.

I will write to you once again at the conclusion of the recruitment process to seek confirmation that the recruitment process was discharged in accordance with the requirements of fairness, openness and merit.

My letter and your response will be published on the PRP website in accordance with our policy of openness and transparency.

Yours sincerely

Susie Uppal Chief Executive, Press Recognition Panel Peter J Lawrence OBE Chief Executive, Civil Service Commission

1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Telephone: 020 7271 0830 E-Mail [email protected] or [email protected]

Susie Uppal Chief Executive Press Recognition Panel Mappin House 4 Winsley Street London W1W 8HF

18th May 2020

Dear Susie,

Thank you for your letter of 14 May outlining your progress in the recruitment of two new members to the Independent Press Recognition Panel. I appreciate you keeping me informed as in accordance with the Royal Charter para. 7.

Your previous letter on the appointments to the Panel mentioned the commitment to diversity and it is pleasing to see this carried through into the process for this competition with an innovative outreach strategy employed by your chosen recruitment agency.

I am conscious that many campaigns have been disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak and I wish you well for completing the campaign in September as you have planned. I look forward to receiving more details once the campaign is complete.

Yours Sincerely

Peter J Lawrence OBE

Website http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

Press Recognition Panel Mappin House 4 Winsley Street London W1W 8HF

Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP Minister of State for Media and Data 4th Floor 100 Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ

Sent by email

6 April 2020

Dear John Whittingdale,

Thank you for your letter dated 27 February 2020. I note the government’s position on social media regulation and its intention to exclude journalistic content. In response to your invitation for thoughts, I would like to offer some observations.

We would welcome clear definitions of the media concerned. The Crime and Courts Act 2013 (alongside the Royal Charter) provides a legal framework for the regulation of news publishers in England and Wales. Section 41 of the Act sets out a definition of news publishers (relevant publishers). The PRP’s view is that some social media sites that publish news fall under this definition. If exclusions are to be applied, it is important any new legislation does not contradict existing legislation or create further confusion for news publishers.

If the proposals for excluding journalistic content from the regulation of social media require new legislation, that legislation should remove the need for any further political involvement in this matter and in press regulation.

In your letter, you mention IPSO and IMPRESS when referring to news sites that are well-regulated. IMPRESS has been independently assessed by the PRP as meeting the 29 Royal Charter criteria. This means you, the public and others can be confident that IMPRESS is truly independent, well-funded, and has systems in place to protect the public. There has been no independent assessment of IPSO’s ability to protect

the public and uphold freedom of the press. In addition to this, most online news sites are not covered by either IPSO or IMPRESS.

Yours sincerely,

David Wolfe QC Chair of the Press Recognition Panel

Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP Minister of State for Media and Data 4th Floor 100 Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ

E: [email protected]

www.gov.uk/dcms

11 May 2020 David Wolfe QC Chair, Press Recognition Panel Mappin House 4 Winsley Street Our Ref: London MC2020/04918/SP W1W 8HF

Dear David,

Thank you for your correspondence of 6 April setting out your observations in social media regulation.

We are continuing to develop our legislative proposals in this area and our next step will be to publish a full government response later this year. This will set out further detail on our proposals, including on protections for media freedoms.

I appreciate you taking the time to share your observations on this matter with me.

Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP Minister of State for Media and Data

Annex H to PRP17(20)

Update on key external matters

1. The update on key external matters is a research-informed piece based on a sample of information available in the public domain.

Commercial Landscape

2. Buzzfeed is closing its dedicated UK and Australian news operations, resulting in staff being furloughed and stood down. The decision to stop covering local news in the two countries has been made “both for economic and strategic reasons”, a spokesperson said. Buzzfeed continues to publish news in the US and said it plans to retain some UK staff to cover global news for its American audience in areas such as social news, celebrity and investigations.

3. As reported by Press Gazette, the Financial Times is cutting its spending on non- staff contributors and implementing further cuts to pay and working hours as it continues to “navigate through” the coronavirus downturn. The newspaper has seen 50,000 new digital subscribers sign up as the Covid-19 crisis developed over the past two months, with “historic highs” coming nearly every week online. But FT chief executive John Ridding told staff this month that further temporary savings were needed so the publisher can guarantee its “mission beyond this storm” and protect the jobs of all staff.

4. Press Gazette reported that the Guardian is the most visible newsbrand on Google for coronavirus information searches in the UK, appearing more often than the BBC and health authorities, new research shows. Theguardian.com has the most top ten rankings on Google for searches relating to Covid-19, which means it appears on the first page of search results more often than any of its news rivals.

5. The Guardian reported that their coverage of the coronavirus outbreak is considered to be substantially better than that of any other British newspaper, according to a University of Oxford study looking at the UK population’s attitudes to news during the lockdown. Twice as many Britons said they felt the Guardian was doing a “good job” covering the pandemic compared with the Times. The Guardian’s website was also one of the most-read sources for information on the outbreak, second only to BBC News. Other outlets fared less well but the Sun and the Mail were the only national newspapers where more people felt they were doing a “bad job” than approved of their reporting on the pandemic.

6. The Guardian has recorded a substantial increase in the number of readers providing financial support to it over the last year. There were 821,000 readers making regular monthly contributions at the end of March, up a quarter over the last year. This figure includes 446,000 people either making recurring voluntary financial contributions of any size, or signing up as patrons to a special scheme which starts at £100 per month. The number is up a fifth from 371,000 in March 2019.

7. City AM has reported a more than 70 per cent year-on-year uplift in traffic to its website following the decision to stop printing during the Covid-19 crisis. The business publication has also seen unique users double in March to over three million a month and newsletter subscribers rise by 12,500. In an update, MD and founder Lawson Muncaster announced the publisher had signed up two new City Talk partners, launched a Daily Podcast, and recorded its best ever digital revenues.

8. Most of the world’s biggest news websites saw their online traffic drop off in early April after interest in Covid-19 peaked in the second half of March, new research seen by Press Gazette shows. But readership across most of the sites – which include the BBC, New York Times, Guardian and Mail Online – is up significantly when compared to the same period last year. Traffic between 1-14 April was also higher than in the first half of March when fears over the epidemic were spreading.

9. Newsquest has introduced online subscription on the websites of around 40 of its weekly newspapers. It has brought in the measure at titles across the country after rolling out a metered paywall on the sites of its regional dailies last month. The scheme invites readers to sign up to a subscription of either £4.99 per month or £52 per year, and has been introduced after the company recorded its highest year-on-year web growth last month. In return, those who sign up will receive access to unlimited articles, up to an 80pc reduction in visible advertising on the site and the ability to post comments online.

10. As reported by Press Gazette, Reach has revealed the extent of the lockdown’s impact on publishers, reporting a 30.5% fall in revenues in April, including a slump in digital income despite soaring online readership. Print revenue – a combination of sales of newspapers and print advertising – fell 31.8% as the public remained housebound during the first full month of lockdown. Digital revenues fell 22.5%, despite a 57% year-on-year increase in page views to 1.7bn across Reach’s digital portfolio, as greater readership failed to translate into an advertising boost.

11. In a recent survey carried out by the Independent Community News Network (ICNN), 95 percent of organisations that responded said they had not benefitted from any of the eleven Government measures outlined by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Thirty-nine news providers responded to the survey. Five per cent of respondents said they had benefitted from the Government’s furlough scheme and Self-Employed Income Support Scheme. Three per cent of respondents said they had been able to benefit from the Government’s grant scheme, keyword block-listing, VAT deferral, and local authority guidance measures. And none had been able to access support through the Government’s £35m public information campaign: ‘All-in, All together’.

12. As reported by Press Gazette, the Economist Group is slashing seven per cent of its global workforce and turning its culture and lifestyle magazine 1843 digital- only as it battles the impact of Covid-19 on trading. Some 90 job roles will be lost out of a global workforce of 1,300. Editorial staff are unaffected, with cuts focusing on events, client solutions and marketing agency TVC – areas badly hit by the current pandemic.

13. The Guardian reported that music monthly Q is one of 10 magazines that could disappear from newsagents’ shelves as Bauer Media, one of the UK’s biggest publishers, said that many already struggling magazines will not be sustainable as the pandemic hastens the shift of readers and advertisers online. The publisher said that following a review of its portfolio it is considering closing, selling, merging or moving to digital-only format Q, Simply You, Your Horse, Planet Rock, Sea Angler, Mother & Baby, Golf World, Practical Photography, Car Mechanics and Modern Classics.

14. Press Gazette reported that Nancy Dubuc, chief executive of Vice Media Group, has urged industry leaders to stand together against tech giants, saying their “squeeze” on news publishers “is becoming a chokehold”. Dubuc made the plea in an all-staff email sent on Friday as she announced plans to cut 55 jobs in the US and around 100 elsewhere. The cuts at Vice Media Group mostly affect digital roles at Vice and the female-focused Refinery 29, which the company bought last year. Vice’s digital organisation accounts for 50 per cent of its staff costs but only brings in about 21 per cent of total revenue.

15. As reported by Press Gazette, digital publishing revenues were down in the final quarter of 2019, before the coronavirus broke out in Europe and the US, suggesting the pandemic has accelerated an existing downturn. Publishing revenues for members of UK trade body the Association of Online Publishers fell by 6.2% year-on-year to £131.1m for the three months to the end of December last year, according to its Digital Publishers Revenue Index. Boosts in revenue from digital subscriptions (up 24% year-on-year) and sponsorship (up 10%) were unable to offset declines in display advertising (down 22%) and job adverts (down 20%) for the quarter.

16. The Guardian reported that print sales for the UK’s biggest national newspapers slumped by as much as 39% last month, as the coronavirus lockdown continued. The Financial Times and the i newspaper reported the biggest decline in circulation, down 39% and 38%, respectively. The Sunday tabloid and mid- market titles proved to be the best performers, with the Mail on Sunday, the Daily Star Sunday, Sunday Express, Sunday Mirror and the Sunday People holding declines to between 12% and 14%. Daily titles did not fare as well with the Daily Mail down 16.5%, although it did report a boost of 60,000 readers of its digital edition. The Daily Mirror and the Guardian fell by 18%, with the Observer falling 17%. The Daily Express and the Daily Star fell by 19% and 26%, respectively. The Evening Standard distributed just over 423,000 copies a day, almost half the approximately 800,000 copies a day back in early March. Similarly, distribution of Metro UK fell by 70%, from 1.3m to 400,000.

17. As reported by the Guardian, the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) said it was to stop issuing the monthly public report of print newspaper circulation after 33 years. The organisation, which is still giving publishers the option of continuing to have figures publicly available on its website, said it was addressing “publisher concerns that monthly ABC circulation reports provide a stimulus to write negative narrative of circulation decline”. News UK became the first major publisher to stop having the print circulation of its titles made public. However, as reported by HoldTheFrontPage, ABC has said it has no plans to give regional newspaper publishers the choice to keep their circulation figures private – unlike their national counterparts.

18. As reported by Press Gazette, Evening Standard chief executive Mike Soutar will step down at the end of May after six months in the role, which he is the first to have held. Soutar has spent most of his career working in magazines and is co- founder of Shortlist Media, which rebranded as Stylist Media after free men’s magazine Shortlist closed in print in 2018.

19. Press Gazette reported that Harry Cole will replace Sun political editor Tom Newton Dunn who is leaving the paper after 16 years to join Times Radio. Newton Dunn will be a presenter and chief political commentator at the station, owned by Sun and Times parent company News UK, which is due to launch this summer.

20. Press Gazette reported that PressReader, which hosts online editions of more than 7,000 publications across 120 countries, is urging publishers to write to Apple asking the tech firm to help them “protect our content” and combat “screenshot” piracy of paid-for content. The issue of readers flouting copyright to share paywalled journalism online was highlighted when Guardian columnist Owen Jones used his Twitter feed to publish almost an entire Sunday Times investigation into the UK government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis. The material was removed after The Sunday Times contacted Twitter, but by that stage it had been read and shared thousands of times on the platform.

21. Almost 60 per cent of people say they always, often or sometimes avoid news during the present Covid-19 emergency. The survey carried out by the Reuters Institute reveals a significant number of people are turning away from the news as the pandemic continues. Of those who always or often now avoid the news, 86 per cent say they are specifically trying to avoid news about the Covid-19 situation. Most of those avoiding the news (66 per cent) say it is because they are worried about the effect Covid-19 coverage will have on their mood. Almost half (48 per cent) say they avoid looking at printed newspapers or magazines. Similarly, 49 per cent avoid news on social media, and 55 per cent avoid looking at news websites or apps of news organisations.

22. The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism has announced a £3.3m project to study trust in news. The Oxford University-based organisation will use a grant from the Facebook Journalism Project to identify actionable, evidence-based recommendations. The three-year project was announced amid the current Covid-19 crisis when trust in news is seen as a vital element of beating the virus.

Legal

23. Financial Times reporter Mark Di Stefano was suspended and later resigned after being accused of listening to the audio feed of video conference calls held by senior managers at the Independent and its sister title the Evening Standard to tell staff about salary cuts and furloughs. In each case Di Stefano, a prolific tweeter with more than 100,000 followers, broke the news of the meetings on Twitter at the same time as staff were being informed. A story on the measures being introduced by the Evening Standard was subsequently published by the FT. A summary of the cuts at the online-only Independent was published in the FT’s daily live blog. Legal experts have suggested that Di Stefano may have broken the Computer Misuse Act 1990, which can carry a jail sentence of up to a year. However, senior sources at the Standard suggest the paper will not push forward with charges.

24. As reported by the Telegraph, a second Financial Times journalist has faced investigation and suspension over allegations of malpractice. An editor in the FT’s New York office has been accused of plagiarism, according to multiple sources. The experienced journalist, whom The Telegraph has chosen not to name because the allegations are unproven, has not been bylined on any articles since late March. The findings of the investigation are unclear but it is understood that no disciplinary action is to be taken.

25. Lawyers for the Duchess of Sussex have insisted her privacy claim against the publishers of the Mail on Sunday (MoS) will continue after a judge ruled that part of her case should be struck out. Lawyers for Associated Newspapers had argued last month against elements including that some words and sentences from a letter by Meghan to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, had been “dishonestly” cut out before publication in order to paint a misleading picture of the relationship between the two. Delivering his ruling, Mr Justice Warby struck out allegations that the publisher had acted “dishonestly” by leaving out certain passages of the letter. He also struck out allegations that the publisher deliberately “stirred up” issues between Meghan and her father, and that it had an “agenda” of publishing intrusive or offensive stories about her.

26. As reported by Press Gazette, technology website The Register has won a libel payout from a computer sales chief executive who accused it of publishing “fake news”. According to court documents, Aria Taheri, the chief executive of Manchester-based computer hardware retailer ATL, defamed Register UK editor Paul Kunert and reporter Gareth Corfield with a series of highly defamatory Twitter messages, articles and a paid-for Google advert.

27. Press Gazette reported that a family of ten who sought publicity through their local newspaper in their bid for a bigger council house have lost a High Court harassment case against three national titles that picked up the story. Arnold and Jeanne Sube sued Express Newspapers, publisher of the Express and Star titles, and News Group Newspapers, publisher of the Sun, over a series of articles in 2016 and related reader comments. The married couple claimed coverage breached the Protection from Harassment Act. David Price QC, for News Group, said that if the Subes’ claim was upheld, it would be “a significant restriction on the editorial freedom of the media”. Mr Justice Warby agreed, saying the Subes had not proved a course of conduct that amounted to harassment on the part of any of the publishers.

28. The Guardian reported that the former senior newspaper executive Will Lewis, on the shortlist to be the next director general of the BBC, has been accused of playing a part in the concealment and destruction of vast amounts of emails relating to phone hacking by the publisher of the Sun and News of the World, according to high court documents made public this month. Lewis, who ended a six-year stint as the chief executive of the publisher of the Wall Street Journal this month, has been named in the case being lodged by about 50 alleged victims of phone hacking against the publisher News Group Newspapers. The case is due to go to trial in October.

29. As reported by the Guardian, the actor Kris Marshall, known for his role in the film Love Actually and TV series including the BBC’s Death in Paradise, has settled his phone-hacking claim against the parent company of the Sun and now-defunct News of the World. Marshall, who fronted BT’s advertising campaigns from 2005 to 2011, is understood to have received a six-figure sum in damages. News Group Newspapers offered an apology as part of the settlement handed down at a session of the high court conducted remotely on Wednesday.

30. Phone hacking and other unlawful information gathering was “habitual and widespread from at least as early as 1994 onwards at both The Sun and The News of the World”, the High Court has heard. Dozens of claimants suing News Group Newspapers say unlawful information gathering at the newspapers was “well-known to and approved of” by senior employees, including former chief executive Rebekah Brooks. It is also alleged that senior executives, editorial staff and journalists “took deliberate steps to lie about, conceal and destroy evidence of these habitual and widespread practices in order to avoid the true nature, scale and extent of such activities being revealed”, with documents which revealed unlawful activities at The Sun allegedly being “purged”.

Political

31. Christian Matheson MP (City of Chester, Labour) tabled a question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which (a) national, (b) regional and (c) local newspapers were selected to publish the Government's messages on covid-19 in April 2020.

Christian Matheson MP (City of Chester, Labour) tabled a question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria were used to select the (a) national and (b) regional or local newspapers that carried Government's coronavirus crisis advertising wraparound in April 2020.

Chloe Smith MP (Norwich North, Conservative) has responded: “The Government has developed a strong national campaign to provide information and reassurance to the public about COVID-19. As part of this, we have utilised advertising in over 600 national, regional and local titles across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, reaching 49 million people a month. As with any media planning approach, titles are selected on their ability to engage with audiences at a national, regional and local level.”

32. Ruth Edwards MP (Rushcliffe, Conservative) tabled a question asking the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support is available to small publishers producing freesheet newspapers during the covid-19 outbreak.

John Whittingdale MP (Maldon, Conservative) has responded: “The Government recognises the vital role played by media organisations, including small publishers of free newspapers, through their provision of independent, trusted information. During this pandemic, the availability of reliable news content is all the more important.

The Government is committed to supporting the newspaper industry and has ensured that key sector staff, such as field engineers and reporters, have been awarded key worker status. We have also sought to address potential distribution issues, issuing guidance to local authorities on the importance of newspaper delivery, for example.

We understand that newspapers are facing acute financial pressures due to the steep drop in advertising revenues in particular. The government is maximising advertising opportunities for the sector in the challenging economic climate by implementing a significant public information campaign across the local and national press. This has allowed us to provide up-to-date information about our Covid-19 response through reliable channels while also seeking to help offset financial disruptions felt across the sector.

In parallel, we have taken steps to find an urgent solution to ensure that the use of ‘keyword blocklisting’ technology is not inadvertently damaging news publishers’ online advertising revenues for COVID-19 related stories. DCMS has been in dialogue with the relevant technology companies, and many major UK brands, to tackle this issue and ensure that relevant policies and systems are not penalising publishers for producing much needed coronavirus content.

Other financial measures are also available for freesheet publishers as part of our unprecedented package of support. These include the Business Interruption Loan, Job Retention Scheme, VAT and tax deferrals, and coverage of statutory sick pay costs.

The Government is clear that providing the public with reliable information on the current crisis is a priority and that newspapers provide one of the vehicles for achieving this. We will continue to review our response policies and engage actively with the sector throughout this challenging period.”

33. Matthew Pennycook MP (Greenwich and Woolwich, Labour) tabled a question asking the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to provide financial support to independent community news publications during the covid-19 outbreak.

John Whittingdale MP (Maldon, Conservative) has responded: “The government recognises the vital role of independent community newspapers in supporting particular groups and isolated individuals by ensuring the provision of reliable, high-quality information throughout the current pandemic. Safeguarding the UK’s news media at this time of financial instability is a key priority for the government and we are in regular dialogue with publishers to ensure that our response to the challenges they are facing is as effective as it can be.

To date, the government has issued guidance to local authorities on the importance of newspaper delivery, which has been critical to ensuring the continued dissemination of printed public interest news. We have also clarified that journalists and other ancillary staff are ‘key workers’ for the purposes of access to childcare and educational places.

The government has sought to maximise advertising opportunities for the news publishing sector through a public information campaign across many national and local titles. The current partnership brings together over 600 national, regional and local titles across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to reach 49 million people a month. All titles utilised in the campaign have been selected by our media planning and buying agency, OmniGOV. As with any media planning approach, titles are selected on their ability to engage with audiences and to ensure value for money, reach and targeting efficacy. The vast majority of titles are local papers and additional titles have been selected in order to further reach priority audiences including BAME and older men. In parallel, we have taken steps to ensure the use of ‘keyword blocklisting’ technology does not inadvertently damage news publishers’ online advertising revenues for Covid-19 related stories. Dialogue with the relevant technology companies has helped to protect publishers against the ad-blocking of coronavirus-related terms.

Most recently, the Chancellor also brought forward the zero rating of VAT on all e-publications to the 1st May - seven months ahead of schedule. The government expects the tax relief to be passed on to consumers in the form of reduced prices, and publishers should benefit from increased sales. Independent publishers may also benefit from several measures included in our unprecedented business support package, such as the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Job Retention Scheme, Bounce Back Loans, VAT deferrals, and coverage of statutory sick pay costs.

The government will continue to consider all possible options in the interests of promoting and sustaining high-quality news journalism. Never have the activities of journalists been more popular and critical; providing quality news to all, including those self-isolating, and binding communities together, a fundamental function of our modern day democracy.”

34. Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour) tabled a question asking Her Majesty's Government, in the light World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, what assessment they have made of threats posed to press freedom (1) globally, and (2) domestically; and what plans they have to (a) establish a national committee, and (b) develop an national action plan, for the safety of journalists.

Baroness Barran (Conservative) has responded: “The Global Index, released by Reporters Without Borders on 21 April, showed press freedom improved very slightly around the world in 2019. While this is welcome news, the threat to free media remains very concerning, and the overall trend is downwards. There has been a rise in the suppression of media freedom by authoritarian regimes. Online threats to journalists have also increased, including through governments imposing blanket shut-downs and misinformation being used to target journalists. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already alarming situation. There are examples of states introducing disproportionate restrictions, silencing debate and abusing journalists. Some states and non-state actors are seizing the chance to propagate disinformation. Funding and advertising revenue has been significantly reduced, causing publications to close and journalists to be laid off. Without action, much of the media on which our democratic systems and values depend risks becoming another victim of the pandemic.

The UK press is among the most respected and free in the world. The government recognises press freedom is fundamental to a healthy democracy and strongly supports it. We are working to support a sustainable future for quality journalism in the UK through the government’s response to the Cairncross Review, so that it can continue to hold government and others to account.

These efforts have increased as we work to support the continued provision of news through the COVID-19 crisis. The government has ensured that the press is able to carry out their essential function at this critical time, designating them as key workers for the purpose of access to educational places, and making sure that newspaper deliveries can continue. The Government has also maximised the advertising we are placing in national and regional newspapers at this critical period, in order to use their powerful, familiar voices and reach on the government’s COVID-19 public information campaign.

The government has previously announced its intention to convene a National Committee and devise a National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists. We remain committed to this goal.”

35. Christian Matheson MP (City of Chester, Labour) tabled a question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answers of 27 April 2020 to Questions 37724 and 37725, which newspaper titles have received Government- funded advertising arising from the national campaign to provide information on covid-19.

Chloe Smith (Norwich North, Conservative) has responded: “Further to the answers given to PQs 37724 and 37725 on 27 April 2020, in light of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Government has developed a national campaign to provide information, guidance and reassurance to the public.

The campaign spans owned, earned and paid-for channels, including local radio and TV, to maximise reach and engagement. We are constantly reviewing our use of each of these channels and amending campaign activity accordingly to ensure our messaging reaches as many people as possible.”

36. Carla Lockhart MP (Upper Bann, Democratic Unionist Party) tabled a question asking the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of subsidising newspapers to provide online copy to people self-isolating on medical grounds during the covid-19 outbreak.

John Whittingdale MP (Maldon, Conservative) has responded: “The Government recognises the vital role of newspapers in supporting communities and isolated individuals by ensuring the provision of reliable, high-quality information throughout the current pandemic. Safeguarding the UK’s news media at this time of financial instability is a key priority for Government and we are in constant dialogue with publishers to ensure that our response to the challenges they are facing is as effective as it can be.

With schools closed and the nation confined to their homes during lockdown, millions have been relying on e-publications to help home school their children, keep up to date with the latest news and to pass the time. To support this, the Chancellor has brought forward the zero rating on e-publications. The zero rate of VAT will now apply to all e-publications from the 1st May - seven months ahead of schedule. The Government expects the tax relief to be passed on to consumers in the form of reduced prices for online copies.

The Government will continue to consider all possible options in the interests of promoting and sustaining high-quality news journalism. Never have the activities of journalists been more popular and critical; providing quality news to all, including those self-isolating, and binding communities together, a fundamental function of our modern day democracy.”

37. Sir Greg Knight MP (East Yorkshire, Conservative) tabled a question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will ensure that the Government’s covid-19 public information campaign makes widespread use of local news outlets in addition to regional and national newspapers.

Chloe Smith (Norwich North, Conservative) has responded: “I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQs 37724 and 37725 on 27 April 2020.”

38. Robert Halfon MP (Harlow, Conservative) tabled a question asking the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on ensuring that community publications can be delivered by (a) local deliverers and (b) delivery companies under social distancing guidance.

John Whittingdale MP (Maldon, Conservative) has responded: “The government considers continued access to quality news, including via community publications, to be vitally important at the current time. My officials and I are working closely with publishers to ensure that we are aware of any issues with delivery and are responding to concerns as a matter of urgency, including, where appropriate, raising issues with Cabinet colleagues.

For the most part delivery is able to continue as normal under social distancing guidance. Journalists and ancillary staff (including those responsible for delivery) have been recognised by the government as key workers and can continue to travel as necessary for work.

Where newspapers are delivered by young people of school age it is up to local authorities to decide whether this should continue, and safeguarding children’s wellbeing is rightly their priority. However, the Department for Education has advised local authorities to take account of employers’ measures to safeguard young workers and whether these are enough to address any safeguarding concerns.”

39. Christian Matheson MP (City of Chester, Labour) tabled a question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answers of 27 April 2020 to Questions 37724 and 37725, which newspaper titles have received Government- funded advertising arising from the national campaign to provide information on covid-19.

40. Darren Jones MP (Bristol North West, Labour) tabled a question asking the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will meet representatives of the (a) Independent Community News Network and (b) Public Interest News Foundation to discuss (i) allocating a proportion of the Government’s Coronavirus advertising spend to independent-sector newspapers and (ii) disbursing that funding and placing those advertisements under a sector- wide agreement with that network and foundation.

John Whittingdale MP (Maldon, Conservative) has responded: “The Minister for Media and Data met with the Independent Community News Network and the Public Interest News Foundation on 6 May to discuss Government support for the independent news publishing sector to mitigate the impacts of Covid-19 on the sector. This meeting included a discussion about the Government's national campaign to provide information and reassurance to the public about Covid-19 and how the independent sector may be used to reach underserved audiences.

All titles utilised in the campaign have been selected by the Government's media planning and buying agency, OmniGOV. As with any media planning approach, titles are selected on their ability to engage with audiences at a national, regional and local level and to ensure value for money, reach and targeting efficacy. The current partnership brings together over 600 national, regional and local titles across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to reach 49 million people a month. The vast majority of titles are local papers and additional titles have been selected in order to further reach priority audiences including BAME and older men.”

41. Scott Mann MP (Conservative, North Cornwall) tabled a question asking the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of arranging with the Independent Community News Network and the Publish Interest News Foundation for a portion of public health campaign spending to be disbursed across the independent media sector.

John Whittingdale MP (Maldon, Conservative) responded: “I met with the Independent Community News Network and the Public Interest News Foundation on 6 May to discuss Government support for the independent news publishing sector in light of the impacts of Covid-19. This meeting included a discussion on the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak on the independent news media sector, the Government's public information awareness campaign, and the ways in which the independent sector may be used to reach underserved audiences. I continue to engage with them via regular biweekly press sector meetings

All titles utilised in the public health campaign have been selected by the Government's media planning and buying agency, OmniGOV. As with any media planning approach, titles are selected on their ability to engage with audiences at a national, regional and local level and to ensure value for money, reach and targeting efficacy. The current partnership brings together over 600 national, regional and local titles across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to reach 49 million people a month. The vast majority of titles are local papers and additional titles have been selected in order to further reach priority audiences including BAME and older men.”

An error was identified in this answer and it was later changed to: “The government recognises the vital role of independent newspapers in supporting communities by ensuring the provision of reliable, high-quality information throughout the current pandemic. Safeguarding the UK’s news media so that they are able to continue to provide this is a key priority for the government and we are in regular dialogue with a range of stakeholders, including publishers, the Independent Community News Network and the Public Interest News Foundation to ensure that our response to the challenges they are facing is as effective and wide reaching as it can be.

42. The Treasury has brought forward a cut to VAT for digital publications and pledged a further £35m in advertising spend for print media to support the industry as the coronavirus lockdown continues. Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the Government would impose a zero rate of VAT on all e- publications, including newspapers and magazines, at his first Budget last month. The change was due to come into effect from 1 December following a 12-week consultation on the draft legislation. But the Treasury said it has been fast- tracked and will now take effect from 1 May, seven months earlier than planned.

43. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has urged the public to buy newspapers to stay informed about the fightback against coronavirus and help support the industry as it deals with the challenges posed by the outbreak. Giving the Government’s daily press briefing, Mr Jenrick said that the news media industry was doing a vital job in keeping the public informed but that the industry was facing “significant financial pressure.” He said: “A free country needs a free press and the national, the regional, and the local newspapers of our country are under significant financial pressure. I would like to echo the words of the Culture Secretary recently in encouraging everyone who can to buy a newspaper.”

44. As reported by Press Gazette, the House of Lords Committee on Communications and Digital’s inquiry into the future of journalism has turned down an offer from Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas to testify on his “horrific experience” with the tabloid press. Thomas said in September that a journalist revealed his HIV positive status to his parents before he told them himself, forcing him to go public about his diagnosis when he would have preferred to keep it quiet.

45. As reported by LancsLive, a petition calling for a 'second Leveson inquiry' into the media coverage before and after Caroline Flack's death in February has been rejected by Jacob Rees-Mogg. The petition, started by Lancaster resident Joshua Brandwood and lobbied by Lancaster MP Cat Smith, received more than 270,000 signatures but will not be debated because it was started on the site Change.org instead of the government petition website. Mr Brandwood, who previously served as a Lancaster city councillor, said that Mr Rees-Mogg's response to him was 'dismissive'.

46. The Shadow Minister for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Chris Matheson MP, has written an editorial for Lyme Online where he has given his backing to the #saveindependentnews campaign, being led by the Independent Community News Network and the Public Interest News Foundation. The campaign is fighting for fair support during the coronavirus pandemic for independent local publishers.

47. Caroline Dinenage, Minister of State for Digital and Culture, told the Home Affairs Select Committee that she could not commit to introducing new Online Harms legislation in Parliament in the current session. She said it was an “aspiration” or “intention” rather than a “commitment” as pledged by her predecessor. She said consultation on its plans would not be published until “probably” in the Autumn, more than 18 months after the White Paper in 2019 and more than two and a half years since the green paper. Julian Knight, Conservative chair of the culture committee, said he was “deeply concerned” that duty of care laws could now be delayed for four years if it was pushed into the next session of Parliament.

48. At a hearing of the Home Affairs Select Committee, the SNP’s Stuart McDonald raised a question about the government’s response to requests by newspapers and news websites to make assurances about whether they would be affected by the Online Harms regulation. Caroline Dinenage responded: “The Secretary of State wrote a letter to the Society of Editors and this was about the below the line comments sections. They were concerned that might be regulated. What the Secretary of State is saying is where there is already clear and effective moderation of that sort of content, we don’t intend to duplicate it. For example, there are IPSO and IMPRESS activity on moderated content sections.” The Minister added the government was working with stakeholders around those parameters and how to reflect that in legislation.

49. Executives from Twitter, Facebook and Google are to be recalled by Parliament as MPs demand fresh evidence of the steps they are taking to stamp out coronavirus misinformation. Julian Knight MP, the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, accused the technology companies of failing to show “clarity and openness” in an earlier evidence session last month. The Committee said it was recalling the companies to provide more details of the actions being taken to curb the spread of coronavirus misinformation. Mr Knight wrote to the companies this month telling them that he remains concerned by the role social media influencers including celebrities and politicians have played in promoting conspiracy theories about the pandemic online. The Committee plans to conduct another virtual hearing in the week starting June 1.

Regulatory news

50. As reported by the Times, Tony Close, Ofcom’s director of content standards, has accepted an offer to become Facebook’s director of content regulation. At Ofcom, he is heavily involved with drawing up rules as the watchdog prepares to regulate social media companies. Ministers said in February that they were minded to appoint Ofcom as the country’s first internet watchdog. It is already responsible for TV and radio. The government is preparing to announce a timetable for legislation. At Facebook, Close is expected to be responsible for ensuring the company does not fall foul of the new regulatory system, and for pushing back against any restrictions that it deems unworkable.

51. Facebook has announced the members of its new oversight board, an international committee of judges, journalists and academics who will help steer the company’s policy on freedom of expression. Among the 20 board members who have agreed to help set policy for the social network are Helle Thorning- Schmidt, the former prime minister of Denmark; the Nobel peace laureate Tawakkol Karman; and Alan Rusbridger, the former Guardian editor-in-chief. Rusbridger said of his appointment: “Facebook is an entity that defies description. It is a friend of the otherwise voiceless — but also an enabler of darkness … To address this, it needs independent, external oversight. Government-led regulation of free speech is nearly always problematic.”.

52. The European Journalism Centre have announced the first wave of grantees for their Facebook-funded European Emergency Fund to address critical business needs caused by COVID-19. Ten local and independent news publishers in the UK have received grants, the highest number of grantees out of the 20 countries in the list of beneficiaries. Out of the 10 publications receiving grants, 6 are regulated by IMPRESS. CEO Ed Procter said: “We are glad to see support reaching independent news publications in these difficult times. It is great to see that 60% of UK grantees adhere to high standards of reporting, for the benefit of the communities they serve, through their IMPRESS membership.”

Campaigners’ news

53. As reported by Press Gazette, Hacked Off founders Hugh Grant and Brian Cathcart were among thousands retweeting posts accusing the Daily Express of faking a front-page picture showing crowds on Brighton seafront in breach of Covid-19 lockdown rules. The agency behind the photo, South West News, has since gone public with irrefutable evidence that the photo was legitimate.

54. Hacked Off Director Kyle Taylor has responded to survey results that show print media in the UK is the least trusted out of all European countries: “Although regrettable, it comes as no surprise that the UK’s unregulated print media is the least trusted in Europe. While broadcast media is regulated by Ofcom, and enjoys stronger levels of public trust, newspapers have persisted with the sham IPSO complaints-handler. In one year alone IPSO received 8,000 complaints about discrimination and just 1 was upheld, while the body has failed to establish a single standards investigation in over five years. Until newspapers become independently regulated, trust will continue to decline.”

55. Hacked Off reported that the Sun has allowed comments on its website to broadcast conspiracy theories to its readers, despite criticising celebrities and social media platforms for the spread of fake news about coronavirus. The comments, which remained accessible for over two weeks, include the allegations that 5G is dangerous and is being pushed by a global elite with a nefarious agenda. The Sun’s website reaches up to 7m people every day. Hacked Off also questioned the absence of IPSO, saying: “IPSO claims to regulate the comment sections of newspaper websites yet it has not lifted a finger to address these posts, several of which directly allege that 5G is a danger to public health. It is not fit for purpose. IPSO’s do-nothing approach is failing the public who need access to accurate information, and it is failing the media which is reliant on public trust.”

56. Hacked Off has responded to the news that part of Meghan Markle’s privacy case against Associated Newspapers has been struck out. Policy Director Nathan Sparkes said: “Today’s judgment makes no difference to Ms Markle’s substantial claim for misuse of private information, with the particulars struck out relating only to aggravation. The judge has been clear they may yet be relied upon, if a case can be made. Regardless, the other two claims remain wholly unaffected. Harry and Meghan have been dragged through the mud by the Mail, which has waged a campaign of intrusion and abuse against Ms Markle in particular … Until newspapers are independently regulated the press bullying and intimidation suffered by Harry, Meghan, and hundreds of members of the public every year will continue.”

57. Hacked Off research has revealed that over the course of one week, 57 articles were written about the privacy and personal life of Little Mix star Jesy Nelson, only months after Ms Nelson spoke about her battles with mental health issues in the BBC documentary “Odd One Out”. Nelson’s former partner Chris Hughes has alleged on social media that they contain inaccuracies. Hacked Off Director, Kyle Taylor, said: “Every other industry in the UK is properly regulated, from broadcast media, to legal services, to finance. Yet newspaper websites read by millions of people every day get away with intrusive reporting with no recourse for those impacted. No one should be forced to see the intimate moments of their lives exposed, interrogated and exploited in the pages of newspapers and magazines – least of all someone who has been so open about the mental health challenges they have faced.”

58. The News Media Association has called for immediate financial and operational support for all UK news publishers so that the flow of essential news to the public can be maintained amid the coronavirus crisis. In its submission to the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee's inquiry into the future of journalism, the NMA pointed to the extreme pressures on news providers caused by steep declines in ad revenues which pose an immediate threat to publishers, particularly independent local companies. Some of the support measures the NMA called for included a Government advertising campaign, the recognition of key worker status for journalists and for the Government to bring forward the VAT exemption for e-newspapers.

59. Hacked Off has responded to the news that the House of Lords Committee on Communications and Digital has turned down an offer from Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas to testify on his experiences with the tabloid press by saying that his “story must be told”. It added: “While some newspaper editors viciously pursue stories about the private health details of sportspersons, they rarely show the same interest in public interest investigations into serious press misconduct.”

60. The Society of Editors (SoE) has called for more clarity over who will decide what conversations are to be censored under new rules brought in by Twitter. Twitter has announced a new strategy for combatting tweets it recognises as spreading disinformation and fake news about the Covid-19 virus emergency. The online platform has introduced a three-pronged approach which tackles tweets and links it identifies as a potential risk. However, while recognising the need for social media companies to play their part in tackling the spread of disinformation, the SoE has called for clarity and caution in any attempt to stifle debate on Covid-19 and other news topics.

61. Hacked Off has responded to the news that the Government’s proposed new Online Harms legislation will not apply to national newspaper websites or comment sections. Director of Policy Nathan Sparkes said: “Instead of addressing the disinformation and other online harms regularly committed by national newspapers, the government’s proposed strategy is to clamp down on private citizens’ social media postings while allowing newspapers to act with impunity … Fake news, conspiracy theories and racist abuse are flourishing on newspaper social media comment sections, while the do-nothing complaints- handler IPSO sits on its hands. No one can seriously believe that IPSO, which has not brought itself to launch any investigations in its six years of existence, is capable of effectively regulating user comment sections.”

62. The Society of Editors is to write to the Scottish Government expressing concerns over proposed new hate crime laws it says have the potential to severely restrict free speech throughout the UK. The Scottish administration’s Hate Crime and Public Order Bill aims to extend the category of banned speech. The proposed new measures would create several new categories where the communication – including reporting – of any material considered threatening or abusive under a range of criteria would risk prosecution. “These proposals, while on the surface designed to protect vulnerable people, have the potential to usher in draconian measures where a host of pressure groups will be able to stifle or close down debate on important issues. And although these are designed for Scotland, any media organisation that publishes or broadcasts north of the border could find themselves caught up or at the very least there will be a chill placed on their work,” commented executive director of the Society of Editors Ian Murray.

63. The Public Interest News Foundation (PINF) has launched the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for independent news publishers affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The goal of the Fund is to provide small grants to help independent publishers keep working through the crisis and beyond. The Fund will award 20 grants of £3,000 each – a total of £60,000 – for independent publishers based in the UK.

64. The News Media Association has called for business rates relief for news media across the United Kingdom after MSPs voted for the measure to apply to titles in Scotland. An amendment to the Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill passed after 41 MSPs voted to extend business rate relief, which currently applies to retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, to news publishers. Thirty-eight voted against. The NMA has been calling on Government for business rates relief to be extended to news media in order to help publishers, in particular local publishers, combat the dramatic declines in ad revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

65. Hacked Off has responded to reports that Will Lewis, one of the applicants reportedly shortlisted to be the next head of the BBC, has been accused of aiding the concealment and destruction of millions of emails relating to phone hacking at the News of the World and allegedly at the Sun. Director Kyle Taylor said: “[Will] Lewis should not be anywhere near the BBC Director General job until these allegations have been fully investigated, either through court action or the Second Part of the Leveson Inquiry. This is yet another example of how the Government’s decision to abort the Leveson Inquiry before it had finished its work has left dozens of questions unanswered.”