Defamation ruling a victory for freedom of the press

Even when journalists are sure of their facts, they take a risk once they tangle with power, a risk worth taking because it’s important for journalism and democracy

The public interest is the touchstone for all of us who take pen to paper, finger to key or microphone/camera to record and it remains the cornerstone for responsible journalism right round the world. It is what helped to place journalism as the ‘fourth estate’ of society – the term originally coined by Edmund Burke in 1787 when journalists were first admitted to report on activities at the House of Commons. At that ...