Media Quotes of the Week: The free press must not be demonised, don't let these journalists run the country and punk not dead for Sun sub-editors

Christiane Amanpour on CNN: "CNN has just revealed that Russian trolls invaded the space on EU Referendum day, June 23, 2016, pushing pro-Brexit sentiment while people were out casting their votes. Chillingly, one report said, one of the most dangerous places for a reporter in America these days is at a Trump rally. I suppose this isn't too surprising: After all, he's branded us in the media as all being "enemies of the American people." At this time of year, we would do well to remember that we are in fact the people's best friends. Remember that anywhere in the world, only the truth we fight for guarantees freedom. And unaccountable lies lead only to enslavement. We journalists will continue to wage this battle. The free press must not be demonized."

Guido Fawkes: "It is hard to exaggerate how annoyed senior Brexiters are by today’s Telegraph front page, which splashes on the faces of 15 Tory MPs and dubs them “the Brexit mutineers”. Prominent Leavers are tearing their hair out at how politically stupid this is and are at pains to make clear it doesn’t represent their views. It’s one thing taking apart Dominic Grieve’s arguments, but monstering 15 Remainers like this very obviously risks hardening their stance."

Matt Warman MP, former Telegraph technology editor, on Twitter:"A Fleet St tragedy that my former employer seems no longer to even know what Parliament is for. I’ll vote with the government but questioning the integrity of these good people is anti-democratic madness."

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Tony Gallagher on Twitter: "I can’t see what’s wrong with p1 of the Telegraph today. It’s called journalism. Absurd over-reaction."

liz gerard‏ @gameoldgirl on Twitter: "They've been doing it for months, but it doesn't make it any more acceptable. Look at the language: it's the language of war. Over opponents of something that's supposed to be about free speech, democracy, sovereignty."

Raymond Snoddy‏ on Twitter: "I like journalists - I am one- but to have the country run by two journalists Boris and Gove - is a step too far."

Theresa May, speaking about Russia at the Lord Mayor's banquet as reported by the Guardian:  “It is seeking to weaponise information. Deploying its state-run media organisations to plant fake stories and photo-shopped images in an attempt to sow discord in the west and undermine our institutions.”

The Times [£] in a leader on Alex Salmond presenting a politics show for Russia Today: "The decision is an insult to the victims of a murderous kleptocracy. The bravery and fates of those who have exposed the crimes of Mr Putin’s regime are unlikely to be raised by Mr Salmond in his rollicking dialogues. They should, however, be mentioned ceaselessly in media outlets that, unlike RT, are free and factual. Anna Politkovskaya, a journalist, was shot dead in Moscow in 2006. A judge found that it was a contract killing whose instigator was unknown. Ms Politkovskaya was a fierce critic of Mr Putin."

Press Gazette reports: "Two board members of Impress, which will rule on a Canary article about Laura Kuenssberg, have previously shared tweets questioning the impartiality of the BBC political editor. Maire Messenger Davies and Emma Jones also help set the standards by which the alternative press watchdog regulates its journalists as members of the Impress code committee. Impress is currently deciding whether an article on website the Canary, which falsely reported Kuenssberg was to speak at the Tory conference, breached its standards code."

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet in a statement: “We also need to examine our own behaviour as journalists when it comes to the representation of sexual harassment in the media. It’s depressing to see the predictable proliferation of women columnists commissioned to denigrate colleagues speaking out, peddling the myth that these are minor issues that have been overblown, or that they emanate from women who simply can’t cut it."

Archant chief executive Jeff Henry announcing the closure of Kent on Sunday: “It is with much regret that I am announcing that Archant is to close Kent on Sunday, with publication of its last editions on the weekend of November 24-26, 2017. It has been a challenging period for the newspaper industry as a whole and whilst we have sought to stabilise this part of the business over many years, the continuing decline in commercial revenues has had an adverse effect on this newspaper title."

Google UK managing editor Ronan Harris, speaking at the Society of Editors conference: “Now think about what a newspaper or a news programme does every day. Whether it’s 100 pages or a 30 minute programme, your products and polished and curated. They have rigorous editorial processes and an editor who is ultimately responsible. They have a beginning and an end…almost the opposite of the open web. If every piece of material on the open web had to be checked and lawyered before we surfaced an answer or showed a video that would – quite simply – break the internet. We agree that we have many responsibilities. But, as the FT wrote the other day, we’re clearly not publishers in the same way that newspapers are."

FT editor Lionel Barber, also speaking at the Society of Editors conference: “Dominant technology sites must recognise they need to take more responsibility for the content that appears on their sites. Not just fake news but also hate speech and extremist propaganda.They must drop the pretence that they are simply platforms and channels for publishers rather than media companies themselves.”

The Sunday Times [£] Headline of the Week: "And finally, more proof that news sub-editors are not in the first flush of youth. The Sun reported Priti Patel’s resignation from the cabinet under the headline “Priti Vacant”. That’s a reference to Pretty Vacant, a single released by the Sex Pistols in 1977, when the former international development secretary was just five years old."

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