Quotes of the Week: From Sunday Times victory over crime boss to an editor's life in dog years

The Sunday Times [£] in a leader about David Hunt after he lost a libel case against the newspaper: "Mr Hunt, in the judgment of Mr Justice Simon who tried his libel complaint, has been involved in fraud, prostitution, money laundering and “extreme violence”. Previously confidential documents produced at the trial revealed that the police and other crime-fighting agencies have been well aware of his activities for many years. Yet it has taken extremely brave witnesses, including a persistent investigative reporter, Michael Gillard, to bring these facts before the public. It has been a high stakes legal battle. This newspaper has needed deep pockets to fill the vacuum left by those who should have taken on Mr Hunt long ago. We have not shied from the task, just as in the past we took on the distributors of thalidomide and the quarter-master general of the Provisional IRA. This is what we do."

Paul Vickers on plans for the Independent Press Standards Organisation on BBC's World at One: "What were doing today is setting up a mechanism for creating a self-regulatory system. It's not dependent on a royal charter – we could do this tomorrow."

Raymond Snoddy ‏@RaymondSnoddy  on Twitter: "Good to see press pushing ahead with Independent Press Standards Organisation - that it has so enraged Lord Prescott is an additional bonus."

Roy Greenslade on his MediaGuardian blog on Ipso: "My hunch is that it will gain political support, even if grudging, because it is currently the only game in town. There will be protests. There may be concessions over matters of detail. Essentially, however, Ipso will become facto."

Brian Cathcart, the executive director of Hacked Off, on the publishers planning Ipso, in the Guardian: "By their actions they are telling the public that they are not answerable to judges, and not subject to the democratic will of Parliament. They are telling us that they are outlaws.

The Guardian in a leader on Rupert Murdoch’s taped meeting with Sun journalists: "There is zero evidence here of the kind of culture change needed to restore public confidence in the press. MPs rightly want to bring Mr Murdoch back to find out whatever happened to humility. Meanwhile, the stalemateover regulation is no closer to resolution."

Rod Liddle in the Sunday Times [£]: "The BBC has been accused of endemic political bias again — this time by one of its own executives in a study it commissioned itself. As a consequence, it has commended itself for its brilliance, honesty and impartiality. Times change, but the BBC never does."

Grey Cardign on The Spin Alley finally snaps over Liz Jones and her Mail column: "Enough is enough. The only way to halt this narcissist nut-job is to stop reading her. Don’t dip into You magazine; bin the Mail on the days she ventures off the fashion pages. And let Lord Dacre know what you’re doing. Who knows? Once the mad woman is freed from the need to self-harm in print, perhaps she might be able to restore some normality to her pitiful life."

Neil Wallis ‏@neilwallis1 on Twitter: "Best four words in the Mail on Sunday today: "Liz Jones is away"

Rupert Murdoch's spokesman, quoted by the Guardian: "Mr Murdoch welcomes the opportunity to return to the Select Committee and answer their questions. He looks forward to clearing up any misconceptions as soon as possible."

Tim Luckhurst ‏@TCHL on Twitter: "Would it hurt the BBC to credit every newspaper from which they borrow a good story? Not remotely. Would it promote good journalism? Yes."

Simon Kelner interviewed by Press Gazette: “An editor’s life is like dog years. I’d been editor-in-chief [at The Independent] for 13 and a bit years, so effectively that’s 91 years. And it began to feel a bit like that.”

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