Hacked Off research has found that in the first 24 hours after The Sun’s initial story was published about the unnamed BBC presenter (whom we now know to be newsreader Huw Edwards), at least 24 articles appeared about the story across the UK’s most-read newspapers.

In contrast, in the 24 hours after Byline Times broke allegations of wrongdoing made against Dan Wootton, only one article is reported to have appeared about him in the same newspapers.

This release initially reported that zero articles appeared, but we have since received reports that a piece was published in The Guardian.

The newspapers reviewed were The Times, The Telegraph, The Mirror, The Sun, The Guardian and The Daily Mail. The 24hr period reviewed was from the time of publication of The Sun’s initial story on Edwards, and Byline Times’ initial story on Wootton.

Commenting on the discrepancy in coverage, Hacked Off CEO Nathan Sparkes said,

“Almost a fortnight ago, a poorly substantiated story in The Sun which referred to lawful interactions between two consenting adults, including a man who reads the news, sent the British press into meltdown.

“This week far more serious and better substantiated allegations were made, about a man who has made a career out of scrutinising the lifestyle decisions of those in the public eye, and they have been met with almost total silence.

“Indeed our research shows that in the first 24 hours after the story broke, there appears to have been almost a media blackout across the nationals, with independent publisher Byline Times joined only by The Guardian in reporting on allegations of wrongdoing against a man within the newspaper industry.

“This is further evidence that the British national press cannot be trusted to report on allegations of wrongdoing and scandal within its own industry”.

Contact: Press@hackinginquiry.orgResearch by Alice Watkins, Hacked Off.