Friday, 9 October 2009

Quotes of the Week

Joan Bakewell giving the James Cameron lecture:"Today responsible producers tell me in private of their misgivings at being directed informally not to renew the freelance contracts of those who work for them without allowing a two week break. You see, that way the company avoids being responsible for employees rights, holidays, sick leave, maternity leave."

Independent editor Roger Alton in Word magazine: "Journalists should be involved with everything and everyone around them, but not necessarily sleep with them... Right now some of the connections between the News International papers and Cameron's inner circle are too close for comfort...Journalists like to think we're on the main stage: but we're not. We're in the audience."

The Guardian apologises to its own subs for referring to "journalists and sub editors" in the readers' editor's Open Door column: "Subeditors are journalists."

Political commentator Anthony Howard reviewing No Expenses Spared, the inside story of the Daily Telegraph's scoop on the MPs' expenses scandal, in the Telegraph: "By concentrating first on the Government – and giving the Tories a three-day stay of execution – the published findings tilted in favour of the Tories."

Spectator editor Fraser Nelson admits he is to blame for the pictures of the Conservative leader drinking champagne at the Tory Party conference:"When David Cameron turned up to The Spectator’s party last night, I thought it only decent to ply him with a glass of fizz. After all, a magazine whose motto is “champagne for the brain” can hardly begrudge champagne for the guests. And what’s the harm, I thought – there were no photographers at the party."

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