View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

Piers Morgan urges rivals to ‘settle down’ after outrage over tweeting BBC salary details ahead of 11am embargo

By Freddy Mayhew

Piers Morgan has been called “unprofessional” and “disgraceful” by fellow journalists who accused him of breaking an embargo on BBC stars’ salaries by tweeting figures ahead of their official release this morning.

Morgan released details of the corporation’s top earners at 10.08am on Twitter ahead of the 11am release of the addition to the BBC Annual Report, which contained new figures for all BBC staff earning more than £150,000 a year.

The figures revealed Jeremy Vine, John Humphrys and Huw Edwards as the BBC’s three top earning journalists, with Fiona Bruce the highest paid woman journalist at the corporation.

The BBC organised a press conference this morning and made the report available to journalists selected to attend in the hours beforehand.

Morgan claimed a “scoop” online, but his actions enraged a number of journalists who said he had broken an agreement not to report the figures before a designated time.

The Good Morning Britain presenter was chastised by fellow ITV colleague and news anchor Alastair Stewart, who tweeted: “Breaking an embargo, with stuff we’ve all been sitting on for hours, is not a ‘scoop’, it is naff, delusional and unprofessional.”

Morgan, who has nearly 6m followers on Twitter, replied: “You snooze, you lose mate.”

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

Buzzfeed UK editor-in-chief Janine Gibson also tweeted at Morgan, saying: “Well I suppose you may or may not think the BBC News staff are overpaid but at least they understand the word ‘embargo’.”

Morgan, former editor of the Daily Mirror, replied: “I understand the word ‘scoop’ better.”

Guardian digital editor Ian Prior said: “Breaking embargoes is being that repulsive brat who sneakily unwraps his presents on December 23. Scoop my arse.”

Sky News senior political correspondent Beth Rigby said: “Piers Morgan is utterly disgraceful to break embargo when hacks gathered at BBC for press conference and respected lock-in. Shame on him.”

She added: “Morgan breaks an embargo that dozens of journos honour and calls it a scoop. Funny guy. And a bit of a joke.”

Morgan tweeted to Rigby: “Oh settle down, petal. I just scooped you. Be better next time.”

He later added: “I’d like to apologise to all fellow journalists I scooped on BBC salary story. I can’t help being this good at my job, unfortunately.”

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