Friday 28 September 2012

Quotes of the Week: From how to save the Guardian to the Sun and the public interest


David Leigh in the Guardian: "A small levy on UK broadband providers – no more than £2 a month on each subscriber's bill – could be distributed to news providers in proportion to their UK online readership. This would solve the financial problems of quality newspapers, whose readers are not disappearing, but simply migrating online."

Roy Greenslade on Leigh's idea on his MediaGuardian blog: "It's an ingenious thought and it should be given serious consideration. Could this be the magic bullet we've been seeking? I certainly think so (because paywalls are never going to work)."

The Sun in a leader"THOSE deluded and arrogant hand-wringers at The Guardian have come up with a bonkers scheme to impose a tax on broadband users to fund money- haemorrhaging publications like their own. We have a more sensible proposal. Why not simply put together a product that excites and engages the British public."

The Economist on the Guardian: "The Guardian’s editor, Alan Rusbridger, has been a flag-bearer for “open journalism”, which invites input from readers. Erecting a pay wall, and thereby curbing access to content, is at odds with the paper’s liberal values, as it has defined them in the digital age. Worryingly, there seems to be little urgency to figure out a model that can pay. Mr [Andrew] Miller [Guardian Media Group boss] says it is still “early days”. The company is ploughing more resources into digital while cutting costs and persisting with free online content. This looks less and less like a long-term business strategy. The day is getting late."

Tim Brooks in InPublishing on how newspapers have coped with the digital challenge: "All regional newspaper groups have failed to find a winning formula; the jury's still out on the nationals."  

The BBC in a statement: "This morning on the Today programme our correspondent Frank Gardner revealed details of a private conversation which took place some years ago with the Queen.
"The conversation should have remained private and the BBC and Frank deeply regret this breach of confidence. It was wholly inappropriate. Frank is extremely sorry for the embarrassment caused and has apologised to the Palace."

Nick Clegg at the Liberal Democrats party confderence, as reported by PoliticsHome: “I would hate to see anything that could reasonably be construed as politicians trying to interfere with how the press do their work. It would be completely unacceptable to do anything that allows politicians to do anything that intrudes on what the media do... This party would never accept, I would never accept, the illiberal statutory regulation of the press. I think people are creating this spectre of statutory interference which is never going to happen.”

Neville Thurlbeck ‏ on Twitter: "Moving print and subs 120 miles away to Sheffield and losing @roblawson1 a catastrophe for my beloved Sunderland Echo. All news will be ancient!"

The Spectator: "Lawyers acting for Kelvin MacKenzie have written to South Yorkshire Police seeking an apology for the circumstances that have led to his ‘personal vilification for decades'."

The Sun on its investigation which exposed criminal gangs helping illegal immigrants enter Britain: "Yet another victory for popular journalism in the public interest."

The Sun in a leader on its Andrew Mitchell story:  "As we have said, we neither paid nor offered any money for this exclusive. It is the result of what is known as journalism. The public interest could not be more clear-cut. Britain has a right to know if a high-ranking Government member brands police officers “morons” and “plebs”. All that is lost on the Met. Their priority is to find, and shoot, the messenger."

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