Media Quotes of the Week: From journalists will rat on Brexit leakers claims Cummings to will The Athletic outmuscle the local press for football?

Dominic Cummings warning ministerial advisers they will be found out and sacked if they leak Brexit plans to the press, as reported by The Times [£]: “My worth to journalists is far greater than yours. For the right story they will rat you out. You have no rights.”

Dan Rather @danrather on Twitter: "To my fellow members of the press, I suggest we refrain from quoting the president's words from prepared speeches into headlines and tweets without context. He sometimes says the right thing. The real questions are what he does and what he really believes."

Donald Trump @realDonaldTrump on Twitter: "The Media has a big responsibility to life and safety in our Country. Fake News has contributed greatly to the anger and rage that has built up over many years. News coverage has got to start being fair, balanced and unbiased, or these terrible problems will only get worse!"

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet in a statement after Newsquest owner Gannett was bought by the New Media Investment Group: "For hundreds of our members in Newsquest, today’s announcement will mean months of further uncertainty as regulatory approval is sought for this merger of the two biggest newspaper groups in the US...While it is positive that New Media talks about a 'shared commitment to journalistic excellence' we note that it is thought the combination of the two companies could bring savings of up to $300 million (£245 million) annually. We would urge that this publicly pledged support for high quality journalism should come with greater investment in journalists and journalism."

Reuters reports from Moscow: "Russia’s media regulator said it planned to change the law so it could fine British and other foreign media working in Russia for breaching impartiality standards, a step it called retaliation for London fining Russia’s RT TV channel."

Ian Murray, executive director of the Society of Editors, in a statement after comments made by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland (pictured) in The Times, seeming to call for the introduction of anonymity for some people arrested on serious charges “It is absurd to suggest that in a liberal democracy we are going to create a system of justice that enables the rich, the powerful, and celebrities to be protected when they are under investigation for serious crimes but the ordinary man or woman would be offered no such protections.”

Carole Cadwalladr on her crowdfunding page:  "In November 2016, I began reporting on dark money, data and disinformation for a series of articles that have appeared in the Observer, Guardian & New York Times. It’s been a long and difficult road, but last year, our reporting on Cambridge Analytica kicked off a global scandal, Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg was dragged before Congress and multiple legal investigations are still ongoing. And it was just one part of our still on-going investigation into a skein of links between Brexit, Trump and Russia.  Now though that investigation is being threatened. A businessman who funded Nigel Farage’s Leave.EU campaign - Arron Banks - and who is under investigation by the National Crime Agency, the British equivalent of the FBI, has filed formal proceedings against me. The result is that I will be tied up in litigation for months in a move that press freedom organisations have called an “abuse of law” to “silence a journalist” .These tactics cannot win. We desperately need more reporting on this vital subject not less. What I need now is more resources to build a team to pursue the investigation with me, to amplify the story and to continue the fight back for democracy. Every penny will be spent supporting journalism that is more necessary than ever."

Editor-in-chief Alex Kay-Jelski announcing the launch of new football site The Athletic UK: “Imagine hiring some of the best journalists in the country. Imagine having the time and resource to plan and execute in-depth articles in a world where West Bromwich Albion matter just as much as Manchester United, where the inside story at Burnley is put together with the same passion as the lowdown on the latest managerial change at Chelsea. Imagine ignoring the world of sensationalism and trying to share better – and untold – stories. Trying to stand out in the clickbait crowd. No, this is not a bad reworking of a John Lennon song. It’s The Athletic UK and from today we are bringing our journalism to you. We’ve put a lot of love, effort and care into it to even get to Day One so I hope you enjoy it."

Alex Mather, a co-founder of The Athletic, quoted by the New York Times in 2017: “We will wait every local paper out and let them continuously bleed until we are the last ones standing. We will suck them dry of their best talent at every moment. We will make business extremely difficult for them.”

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