Depity Prime Minster Nick Clegg recorded four meetings with the press between October and December 2012, compared with Prime Minister David Cameron’s 12.
Transparency figures show Clegg met with representatives from The Independent, ITV and the Telegraph during the period.
He was also the guest of owner Evgeny Lebedev at the Evening Standard’s Christmas party.
In addition, Clegg recorded two meetings with Hacked Off and one with the National Union of Journalists during the period.
Prime Minister Cameron, meanwhile, recorded 11 formal meetings with the press and also attended The Sun’s military awards.
He met 19 members of the industry on 5 December for a discussion about implementing Leveson. Notably, Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre and Observer editor John Mullholland were not present at Number 10.
Cameron met separately with Dacre as well as senior figures from the Financial Times, The Guardian, the Telegraph, The Times, The Sun, Sunday Express, The Sunday Times and ITV in the period. He also met with Hacked Off twice.
In the same three months, Mayor of London Boris Johnson recorded four meetings with the press (three Evening Standard and one Spectator).
He also went on a two-day holiday to Umbria, Italy, with Independent and Evening Standard owner Evgeny Lebedev. Standard editor Sarah Sands paid for his taxi home from the airport.
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
