[eccr] Head of EC press service denies gagging website

Head of EC press service denies gagging website
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The head of the European Commission's press service has hit back at
claims that he tried to gag a satirical EU website as "just nonsense".
The founders of The Sprout website have accused Jonathan Faull of
ordering his staff not to co-operate with it.

Freelance journalist Martin Jay said he had it on "good authority" that
this was the case. "I find this quite outrageous. Mr Faull should
lighten up and realise we are trying to inject some much-needed humour
into the coverage of the European Union," he said.

"We're already working on our next edition and refuse to be intimidated
by this blatant attempt to gag us." Mr Faull strongly rebutted the
accusations. "It's just nonsense," he said. "Martin Jay is an accredited
journalist and we will deal with him in the normal way."

Sources close to EC Vice-president Neil Kinnock, however, admitted that
they had chosen not to agree to an interview request by Mr Jay for a
British newspaper. Instead, they spoke to another journalist on the
paper. 

Meanwhile, Gawain Towler co-founder of the website's has resigned as
assistant to UK Conservative MEP Nirj Deva, saying the post was
"incompatible" with his role on The Sprout.

Source: http://www.european-voice.com - European Voice

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