Three newspaper publishers have denied a claim by Baroness Buscombe (pictured) that they threatened to quit the organisation because of negative adjudication recently.
Responding to Robert Jay QC at the Leveson inquiry today, who said: “I think a number of editors threatened to leave the PCC”, Buscombe replied: “Yes, the FT, the Guardian, the Mirror.”
Guardian editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger tweeted:
Buscombe says Guardian theatened to leave PCC because of critical adjudication. Not true #Leveson
— alan rusbridger (@arusbridger) February 7, 2012
Mirror statement: “The Mirror has not threatened to leave the PCC in recent years.” #leveson
— Henry Clarke Price (@HenryCP) February 7, 2012
“The FT has never complained to the PCC about adverse adjudications nor threatened to quit the PCC because of rulings against the newspaper”
— Ben Fenton (@benfenton) February 7, 2012
The PCC said: “Baroness Buscombe was giving a personal recollection of her conversations and experiences whilst at the PCC, during her evidence at the Leveson Inquiry this morning. The PCC has not received any formal proposals from these publishers to withdraw from the system in recent years.”