The Sun has said it stands by its reporting on Huw Edwards and is continuing to investigate the former employee Dan Wootton, as the tabloid faces scrutiny over its reporting standards and internal culture.
The editor, Victoria Newton, told MPs the Sun was a “responsible media organisation which has strict editorial and legal frameworks” to ensure accuracy in its reporting, while also taking allegations about internal misconduct very seriously.
The Sun reported earlier this month that an anonymous BBC newsreader, later identified as Edwards, had paid a 17-year-old for explicit images, which is a criminal offence. Once Edwards had been suspended by the BBC, the Sun rowed back on its suggestion that any illegal behaviour had taken place and blamed other news outlets for suggesting criminal acts had occurred.
Newton said the Edwards story was clearly in the public interest, as it involved parents seeking help on behalf of a “vulnerable young person with an addiction to crack cocaine” who was allegedly receiving tens of thousands of pounds from one of the BBC’s best-known presenters.
She also said the Sun had been a responsible publisher that was careful with potentially identifying details. “At no point have we identified the gender of the young person, which the BBC has done on more than one occasion.”
Caroline Dinenage, the chair of the culture select committee, had written to Newton requesting comment on concerns about the Sun’s reporting of the Edwards story. Dinenage cited claims of “inaccuracies, changing narratives and lack of engagement with some of the parties involved”.
The individual at the heart of the allegations, now aged 20, said they told the Sun before publication that the story was “rubbish” and blamed their parents for going to the newspaper. The Guardian has also reported that, according to sources, the parents were offered tens of thousands of pounds for an interview with the Sun’s sister television station TalkTV, which has been recorded but not aired.
Newton did not address whether the Sun had received a denial from the 20-year-old prior to publication.
She said: “The questions raised about our reporting have come in particular from the BBC itself as well as a small group of anti-press campaigners who have sought to misrepresent our reporting or use selective extracts. The vulnerability and drug addiction of the young person is also frequently omitted. We have sought to correct the reporting or commenting of opinion formers along the way.”
The Sun’s editor said the decision to publish the original story followed lengthy discussions “around the privacy and public interest justifications” involving in-house lawyers and an external barrister. She said the account of the parents was backed up with “corroborative evidence” that she would not disclose to MPs.
Edwards, who is still being investigated by the BBC amid claims he sent inappropriate messages to young members of staff, checked into a hospital earlier this month for mental health issues. His family is being advised by the former News of the World editor Andy Coulson.
Newton was also asked to provide MPs with details of an internal investigation into claims that Wootton, a former Sun journalist, used the pseudonym Martin Branning to offer tens of thousands of pounds to colleagues in return for explicit images.
Dinenage said: “We would be grateful if you could set out what investigations are taking place into this matter. I’m sure you will recognise how important it is for the public to have confidence in a newspaper’s editorial standards, not only on this particular case but across all its reporting.”
Newton confirmed the external law firm Kingsley Napley had been hired to advise on the investigation. She said: “On Mr Wootton we are investigating relevant matters raised by reports by Byline Times and the Guardian last week … We take these allegations seriously but we are in no position to comment further and indeed we make no commitment to make any further comment depending on the outcome of our investigation.”
Wootton has retained his nightly show at the rightwing channel GB News, where he has blamed “dark forces” for trying to bring him down. But his lucrative twice-weekly column at MailOnline has not appeared since allegations against him were first made by an ex-boyfriend and Byline Times. The company previously said it was looking into claims against the presenter.
Asked if Wootton was still being paid by MailOnline, a spokesperson said: “There isn’t any update” and ended the call.
