Quotes of the Week

James Murdoch on the decision to close thelondonpaper: "The team at thelondonpaper has made great strides in a short space of time with innovative design and a fresh approach but the performance of the business in a difficult free evening newspaper sector has fallen short of expectations. We have taken a tough decision that reflects our priorities as a business."

Rick Blum, coordinator of the Sunshine in Government Initiative which is calling on press officers in the US to end 'off the record' briefings: "In today's age of Twitter and blogs, an 'off the record' speech will be publicised, just not by reporters. It just doesn't make sense anymore and the practice should stop."

The Pajhwok Afghan News agency rejecting a call by the Afghan Government for a news blackout on any violence during tomorrow's presidential election: "To conceal information from the people violates our very reason for existing."

BBC manager on spy and former BBC producer Guy Burgess, according to an archived memo made public this week: "His office hours are very flexible - he is rarely here before 10.45am since he reads his papers and Hansards at home and spends most of the rest of the day out of the office making contacts."


Bryan Appleyard in his Sunday Times Magazine profile of Apple chief Steve Jobs: " Apple hates personality stuff and press intrusion. “We want to discourage profiles,” an Apple PR tells me stiffly, apparently unaware she is waving a sackful of red rags at a herd of bulls. Another PR rings the editor of this magazine to try to halt publication of this piece."