Media Quotes of the Week: From in the BBC we trust during the Coronavirus crisis to stop trying to gag health staff who want to speak to journalists

Alan Rusbridger in the Observer: "Fox News has shown its true colours during the Covid-19 emergency, parroting the wildly erratic line from an increasingly dangerously deluded White House. Fox is these days less a news company than an oligarchically owned state broadcaster. The BBC, meanwhile, has been doing what it does best: providing reliable and trustworthy information to a huge audience – both broadcast and online, both young and old. On any surveys of trust it towers over other news organisations as well as other institutions in society. Again, it is difficult to imagine any sane administration wanting to diminish the national, international and local reach of the BBC for the foreseeable future – far less hand over our national spine of communication and conversation to the Murdoch family and a bunch of talk-radio hosts."

Edward Lucas in The Times [£]: "The pandemic has highlighted the BBC’s vital role as the factual anchor of our national life. We face a blizzard of disinformation from China, which, for reasons we do not yet fully understand, is now adopting tactics previously used by Russia, pumping out bizarre conspiracy theories and allegations. The US president is doing his bit too, dismissing and exaggerating evidence in a way that makes our leaders look like Athenian philosophers...The BBC, for all its flaws, is our best defence against the tide of ignorance, panic and rumour."

HoldTheFrontPage reports: "A regional publisher is to place around 60 journalists and 350 staff in total on paid leave – while those remaining in work could also be set to take temporary pay cuts. JPIMedia has announced part of its 700-strong editorial workforce will be put on the government’s Coronavirus job retention scheme as part of new measures to tackle the economic impact of the pandemic, along with 250 sales staff and around 40 in other posts."

• James Mitchinson, editor of the JPI Media owned Yorkshire Post, has written to MPs urging help for the local press.

Professor Rasmus Kleis Nielsen of the Reuters Institute: "Advertising revenues are taking a massive blow. Some local publishers say they are down by 50%, some national titles by 30%. Online advertising revenues are further challenged by advertisers blacklisting Coronavirus-related stories and by some platforms at least temporarily demonetizing Coronavirus-related content. If UK newspapers lose 30% of their advertising revenues, that will be in the region of half a billion pounds in the course of a year, and more than 15% of their total income. This will hurt every publisher, but it’s especially dangerous for small local titles (both legacy and new) with little access to credit and limited cash reserves, freesheets and others almost entirely reliant on ads, and for those larger companies who have high debt or significant pension obligations."

Roy Greenslade in the Guardian: "Although the pandemic has attracted record-breaking audiences for online news sources, outlets have long struggled to earn substantial revenue from digital advertising. Some advertisers have also blocked their promotions from appearing along Coronavirus-related stories, although there has been increased spending by the government on public health campaigns and by some major corporations such as banks. Industry sources suggested sales of print outlets briefly rose in the run-up to the lockdown but have collapsed since people were asked to stay at home."

• Mark Sweney in the Guardian: "UK newspapers face losing £50m in digital revenues as advertisers use “blacklist” technology to block ads from appearing next to all stories that mention the Coronavirus pandemic."

Donald Trump on Twitter: "One of the reasons that Fake News has become so prevalent & far reaching is the fact that corrupt “journalists” base their stories on SOURCES that they make up in order to totally distort a narrative or story. When you see, “five sources say”, don’t believe the story, it is very often FAKE NEWS. Lamestream Media should be forced to reveal sources, very much as they did in the long ago past. If they did that, the media would be trusted again, and Fake News would largely be a thing if the past!"

Ian Murray, executive director of the Society of Editors, in a statement: “The decision by the Hungarian parliament to pass emergency legislation, without time limit, allowing the leader [Viktor Orbán] to rule by decree is deeply concerning. Over recent years democratic norms in Hungary have gradually been eroded and new powers to introduce jail terms of up to five years for those deemed to be “distorting” the facts and spreading misinformation around Covid-19 raises legitimate concerns that the measures could be used against journalists critical of the government. This crisis should not be used to censor the press – the ability of an independent media to hold the powerful to account has never been more important."

Graeme  Souness in the Sunday Times [£]: "It’s the biggest regret in my life, not just football, that a picture of me in the hospital after my heart operation appeared in The Sun on the anniversary of Hillsborough. I am fully aware that I will never be forgiven by a large percentage of Liverpool supporters and that’s something I have to live with. I say sorry every time the subject is raised and I say sorry again to those that I hurt. I’m at an age now where 50 per cent of Liverpool supporters would only have heard of my name and not seen me play. I get treated very well by Liverpool supporters, but I am fully aware that, sadly for me, I will be remembered for that picture in The Sun."

The Times [£] reports:"Doctors and nurses who speak out about the lack of personal protection equipment for hospital staff are being threatened with dismissal, they have said, raising fears that health authorities are trying to hide the extent of the crisis."

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet in a statement: "At a time when accurate information and quality journalism is more vital than ever, it is outrageous that brave healthcare workers are being threatened with disciplinary action if they speak out to journalists. It is particularly disgraceful to gag workers who are rightly speaking out to highlight the shortage of critical protective equipment. The public has the right to know what is happening, especially when it relates to the health and well-being of the nation. NHS England should withdraw these threats immediately."

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