View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

Editor labels Boris Johnson’s criticism of Architects’ Journal following Garden Bridge reporting an ‘attack on my professional integrity’

By Sam Forsdick

A senior editor of the Architects’ Journal has hit back at Boris Johnson after the MP criticised coverage of the abandoned Garden Bridge project.

In statements made to the Greater London Authority oversight committee on 1 March, Johnson accused the weekly magazine of publishing a “stream of abuse” at the people involved in the controversial £200m project.

The former London Mayor said: “The allegations of corruption and the insinuations have been really quite horrendous, and they have been connived at in a journal, the Architects’ Journal, which has published a stream of abuse of these individuals.

“As I understand it is motivated… by a dislike that the Architects’ Journal has, or the journalists concerned have, for Thomas Heatherwick, who is not conceived of as being a proper architect and is therefore somehow worthy of abuse.”

Johnson’s accusations were believed to be aimed at AJ managing editor Will Hurst, who has run an investigation into the project since 2014, when developers first submitted planning applications to Lambeth and Westminster councils.

Hurst published a string of exclusives exposing allegations of mismanagement before the project was abandoned last year, by which point £46.4m of taxpayers’ money had already been spent.

Hurst’s work has previously been mentioned in Parliament and he was awarded Infrastructure, Development and Construction Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards 2017 for stories including “TfL hit by Garden Bridge conflict of interest claims”.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

In an open letter to Johnson, Hurst said: “You made very serious and unfounded accusations against the Architects’ Journal and its reporting on the Garden Bridge.”

He expressed his “shock and anger” at the “untrue and unfounded attack” on his professional integrity.

Hurst added: “I am happy to confirm that neither I, nor the AJ, has any grudge against the renowned non-architect designer Thomas Heatherwick.

“Indeed in 2015, more than six months after I began my Garden Bridge investigation, we handed him the AJ100 Contribution to the Profession award.

“I have carefully fact-checked everything I have written on the Garden Bridge and given companies and individuals subject to criticism full right of reply prior to publication.

“You, a former journalist yourself, apparently did neither of these things before launching your highly public assault on the reputation of myself and the AJ.”

Picture: Reuters/Hannah McKay

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network