Nifty footwork by a local authority meant that an exclusive story based on survey findings leaked to the Manchester Evening News was with all the media by the time the paper’s first edition was out.

The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities swung into action to supply other media with figures on a congestion charge poll when political correspondent David Ottewell did the right thing – and went to the press office for a reaction to his story.

The story in Friday’s MEN was described as being based on a leak by David, but the fact it was sent out to other journalists in an embargoed press release left him distinctly unamused.

David said: “AGMA did not expect me to get hold of the results when I did. It wasn’t stage-managed. It wasn’t planned. I knew the results were coming out, and I wanted to get them first. I found a way.

“I contacted a relevant spokesperson to tell them I had the results and intended to publish them on Friday morning. Would AGMA, or the GMPTA, like to comment?

“That’s responsible journalism – giving people the right to reply to our stories.

“The spokesperson went away and came back some hours later to tell me that they intended to release the results, pretty much immediately, to everyone.

“After a bit of a row, they instead offered to put the results out widely, but very late on Thursday night and with instructions to other journalists that they were not to be used until 8am. Not ideal, but the best we could get.

“And that, as they say, was that. My scoop was put in jeopardy because I did the responsible thing and went to the relevant authorities for a right-of-reply quote.”

Now David feels feedback to the MEN website that his story was not based on a leak, but was taken from the official figures in the embargoed press release, is unfair and paints him in a bad light.

He said in his manchestereveningnews.co.uk blog: “I take my job, and my reputation, very seriously indeed.

“It’s also important to me that people know that I am going out trying to find stories rather than sitting here recycling press releases.

“That is the most vital thing journalists do. We are trying to get at information. We are trying to share that information. We are not working to other people’s agendas.

“Our agenda is this: is this something people need or want to know? Is it accurate? Have we presented it fairly?

“In the new age of blogs and citizen journalism, it’s easy to forget how important this sort of activity really is.”

He said that while anyone can publish unchecked rumour and gossip, without reporters finding and sharing accurate, fairly-presented information – and working to professional standards – “we are all in trouble”.