Media Quotes of the Week: From journalists appalled by proposed changes to Secrets Act to it's August and Llama Drama Ding Dong! is back

Sun deputy editor-in-chief James Slack interviewed by journalism.co.uk on the proposed changes to the Official Secrets Act: "Every journalist I have spoken with at The Sun and elsewhere is appalled that the government is even considering doing something so draconian, and which could have such a profoundly damaging impact on the public's right to know. Look at what ministers are proposing. The lack of public interest defence would have a chilling effect on the media's ability to report wrongdoing, hypocrisy, and criminal negligence. It would also make it far less likely that whistleblowers would be prepared to come forward in the first place."

Tim Dawson on the NUJ website on the Boris Johnson-Nick Ferrari interview on LBC: "Had the leader of any other administration performed Johnson’s radio-studio volte farce, free-speech campaigners would have rightly celebrated. An undertaking from someone whose commitments are so malleable, however, is all but worthless. So, if the executive can’t be trusted, we must take the issue to parliament. Support from cross-party MPs and Lords is the only certain approach to safeguarding journalistic freedoms."

Justin Borg-Barthet in the Guardian on libel reform: "London is a favourite destination for the powerful to bring lawsuits that may be perceived as attempting to shut down public scrutiny and discussion, rather than to achieve a satisfactory legal outcome. Of course, all litigation is costly and not without risk. But often the threat of a defamation or data protection lawsuit in London is enough to stop material that may be considered of public interest from being published at all. Seemingly regardless of the truth of the matter or the public interest in knowing about it, a small group of London law firms appear only too happy to send threatening letters across the globe in an attempt to shut down reporting....

"In the European Union, discussions are under way to introduce measures that address lawsuits known as Slapps (strategic lawsuits against public participation). A coalition of NGOs has produced a model law that would require courts to dismiss exaggerated or vexatious claims at an early stage. Equally importantly, courts would be required to shift costs to the Slapp claimants, imposing penalties and fines that could deter abusive litigation. Of course, any laws adopted by the EU’s institutions no longer apply in the UK. Those efforts need to be mirrored by homegrown legislation in the UK’s legal systems."

Roger Lytollis, author of Panic As Man Burns Crumpets on Press Gazette: "This year Newsquest, Reach and JPI Media are all recruiting journalists for their websites. The numbers are a fraction of those made redundant in the past decade, but it’s a step in the right direction. The question is the same as it’s been for at least 15 years. Are enough readers willing to pay for local news, whether through subscriptions, donations, paywalls, or buying one of those old-fashioned things called a newspaper? Maybe, if it’s worth paying for. If publishers have enough staff, including some with the experience to know their patch and to guide the many newcomers. And if publishers trust that readers want to read local news and features, not press releases and clickbait. Paying for journalism shouldn’t be seen as a strange idea. It might even reduce the onslaught of online abuse against journalists by challenging the view encouraged for too long by publishers: that their work is worthless."

International Federation of Journalists general secretary Anthony Bellanger in a statement on the US appeal to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from the UK: “President Joe Biden must end the years of politically motivated prosecution of Julian Assange by finally dropping the charges against him. The criminalisation of whistleblowers and investigative journalists has no place in a democracy. Condemning Assange would not only endanger his life but also fundamental principles of press freedom.”

Steve Vines in the Observer: "As someone who has not only been a journalist but also founded several businesses in Hong Kong, it seemed to me that this place had a unique ability to bounce back and survive the fiercest of storms. The realisation that, at least in the near term, this resilience has been decisively crushed made me contemplate the previously unthinkable – leaving."

The International Federation of Journalists in a statement: “The IFJ is happy about the recent decision of the US government to resettle Afghan journalists working for US media outlets as refugees in the United States. The IFJ also urges the US government to move ahead with the implementation of this decision as soon as possible in order to protect media workers who are at risk.”

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) have published a joint report  describing the methods for persecuting journalists the Lukashenko regime in Belarus has developed in the past year: "Nearly 70 journalists have been subjected to serious violence by the security forces. The report includes the accounts of some of the victims, such as Natalia Lubneuskaya of the Nasha Niva news site, who sustained a knee injury when a rubber bullet was deliberately fired at her, and Hrodna.life reporter Ruslan Kulevich, who was held for two days although baton blows had fractured both of his hands at the time of his arrest. Prison conditions are often appalling. Belsat TV reporter Alena Dubovik was jammed with 50 other women detainees into a cell meant for four people, was beaten while half naked and was denied food for 24 hours. The Belarusian Association of Journalists, RSF’s partner organisation, has tallied nearly 500 arrests and detentions of journalists in the past year."

Tom Hamilton on Twitter: "Keir Starma needs to get involved in the alpaca row purely to create the conditions for the headline STARMER LLAMA DING-DONG."

• According to the Daily Mail,  Starmer has got involved in the alpaca row and upset Labour members: "Voters are cancelling their Labour Party memberships after Sir Keir Starmer said Geronimo the embattled alpaca must be slaughtered."

The Times [£] reports: "A minister has dismissed the case of Geronimo the alpaca as an 'August story' and insisted it must die as animal rights activists marched on No 10...Kwasi Kwarteng, business secretary, said the case was an August story; suggesting it would not make the news at any other time of year."

• The famous 'Llama drama ding dong!' headline appeared in the Lancashire Evening Post above a story about a llama that escaped and caused havoc in a school playground. It was the title of a book of headlines by former Press Gazette editor Tony Loynes. It was also featured in comedian Dave Spikey's book featuring funny headlines, which was wonderfully titled: "He took my kidney, then broke my heart."

A pedant writes: "While often conflated, alpacas and llamas differ in key ways. The most-distinguishing physical differences between alpacas and llamas are their size, their hair, and their face shapes." 

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