New doubts over state backed Press regulator
THE state-backed press regulator Impress faced further questions over its impartiality last night.
It emerged that two board members have shared tweets attacking BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg.
This is despite the fact that Impress is currently investigating The Canary website for an inaccurate story about Miss Kuenssberg. The left-wing website had falsely reported that she was to speak at the Tory Party conference.
Impress, which is backed by Max Mosley, is deciding whether the report breached its standards code.
Trade magazine Press Gazette reported that two board members, Maire Messenger Davies and Emma Jones, had in the past retweeted messages questioning Miss Kuenssberg’s impartiality. They included a cartoon depicting the BBC political editor wearing a ‘Vote Tory’ sign.
Miss Kuenssberg has been the target of online trolls claiming she is biased against Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Impress told the magazine that the pair had been recused from handling the Canary complaint. Miss Davies is a profes-
‘Tells you everything about their agenda’
sor of media studies at Ulster University while Miss Jones is a writer for The New European newspaper.
On December 7, 2016, the day after Miss Kuenssberg was named Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards, both women shared the following tweet: ‘Laura Kuenssberg “Journalist of the year”. Oh. So THAT’s what journalism means? #Propaganda.’
On the same day, Miss Davies also retweeted: ‘When our great “free press” awards “Journalist of the Year” to the BBC News chief propagandist, it tells you everything about their agenda.’
Most of the retweets have been deleted, some still remain visible online.
A spokesman for Impress told Press Gazette: ‘In January 2017 Impress began a review of the historic use of social media by members of the board. The items to which Press Gazette has drawn attention were considered as part of the review.’
The overwhelming majority of newspapers and magazines, including the Daily Mail, are regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation, which is completely independent of the state.