Unherd boycott over 'anti-trans' narratives | Henry Winter on life after The Times
And Huw Edwards resigns from the BBC
Welcome to your daily newsletter from Press Gazette on Tuesday 23 April.
Huw Edwards wasn't just damned with faint praise by the BBC yesterday, he received no praise at all from the corporation in recognition of his 40-year career.
A curt BBC statement merely revealed Edwards had resigned on the basis of medical advice and said no further comment would be made.
Edwards has been absent from TV screens since July last year when The Sun revealed a then-unnamed BBC presenter had paid a young person for explicit images.
He was the face of BBC News for many years and will be a tough act to follow, with Clive Myrie likely to step up now when it comes to fronting state occasions.
We can only hope that Huw recovers his mental health sufficiently to restart his journalism career elsewhere. And I suspect the BBC will face more questions about the manner of his departure and the inquiry it conducted after The Sun story that prompted the original row, which has remained secret. So far the BBC has only released information about its investigation into the handling of a complaint made by the young person's parents.
Meanwhile, another journalism star of a similar vintage is embarking on a career second act with gusto as Henry Winter launches his own paid newsletter on Substack after being made redundant by The Times. He told us how he plans to incorporate audio and video into a new multimedia Winter offering on the platform.
And finally, we've taken a closer look at the actions of the UK-based Global Disinformation Index which operates a blacklist widely used by advertisers to stop their marketing from appearing on sketchy websites. Paul Marshall-backed current affairs website Unherd has found itself in the crosshairs of the GDI for publishing what it describes as anti-trans narratives.
It appears that the GDI has extended its mission beyond removing the incentives for those who publish disinformation to targeting sites that publish views it believes are harmful and inflammatory.
In my view, GDI looks well-meaning but is showing nowhere near the transparency or governance levels needed to fulfil its role as a self-appointed regulator of the open web.
New from Press Gazette
Henry Winter launches Substack: ‘I’m going to Euros… but I’ll be in an Airbnb’
Winter is promising “news, views and interviews” both in written, audio and video form, saying he knows it is “important to evolve” even after a near 40-year career in journalism.
‘Anti-trans narratives’ see Unherd put on advertising blacklist
Editor Freddie Sayers said Unherd’s low rating from GDI means his site can only achieve between 2% and 6% of what it could expect to earn through advertising if it had been given a brand-safe rating.
Huw Edwards resigns from BBC ‘on medical advice’
“The BBC has accepted his resignation which it believes will allow all parties to move forward. We don’t believe it appropriate to comment further.”
News in brief
Newsnight deputy editor Becky Emmett is joining ITV News amid an overhaul of the BBC programme. Emmett will be head of ITVX for ITV News. (Press Gazette)
Andrea Davies, former group managing director of TI Media, has joined the board of National World as an independent non-executive director. (National World)
The long-delayed full inquest into the 2019 death of Jeremy Kyle Show guest Stephen Dymond will take place in September, a coroner has said at a pre-inquest hearing. (Maldon Standard via PA)
Previously on Press Gazette
Pippa Crerar: Newspaper front pages will still set general election political agenda
Trading platform bets on ad-funded business journalism with Sherwood News
Open Democracy could have been ‘insolvent by June’ without 40% cost reductions
Hugh Grant settles claim against Sun publisher due to risk of £10m legal costs
The US website making ad-funded journalism about the environment work
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