We can only be full members of a properly functioning democracy if the media: radio, television, newspapers, journals and the internet provide information that is accurate, unbiased and truthful and reveals and publicises the cheating, hypocrisy and secrecy which many would use to neuter public opinion and political action.

It is deeply worrying when a first class investigative journalist, Peter Oborne, resigns as political editor of the Daily Telegraph, because that paper, with 500,000 readers will not publish news that might upset its major advertisers.

I strongly recommend that you read Peter Oborne’s account of his increasing concern with the state of the press and the reasons why he decided he could no longer work for the corrupted Daily Telegraph.

Peter writes: Five years ago I was invited to become the chief political commentator of theTelegraph. It was a job I was very proud to accept. The Telegraph has long been the most important conservative-leaning newspaper in Britain, admired as much for its integrity as for its superb news coverage. When I joined theTelegraph had just broken the MPs’ expenses scandal, the most important political scoop of the 21st century.
His account continues here:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/peter-oborne/why-i-have-resigned-from-telegraph

It is deeply disturbing.

He notes that the Guardian is among those papers that maintain high standards of Journalism.

I have read the Guardian since I left home at the age of 18, but with the coming of the internet, I cancelled my subscription, finding enough information on the web. Many others have done the same, and newspaper sales are declining. But journalists, editors and commentators have to be paid. The answer has to be that those, like me, who value the Guardian should pay to enable the paper to continue. I have set up a monthly payment, less than the cost of buying the paper, but significant enough that the paper could survive and prosper if enough of those who no longer need and want a paper version became subscribers.

This is the message to me from the Guardian:

Subscriber ID:A-S00146382

Dear David Walker

I wanted to write to you to let you know how much your subscription means to us. Guardian News and Media is owned by the Scott Trust. The Trust was set up in 1936 by the Scott family, the owners of the paper at the time. The Trust’s raison d’etre is to secure the future of the Guardian ‘in perpetuity’. Your subscription will help it to do just that.

Your support will allow us to continue to invest in our award-winning, investigative journalism which we hope you will continue to enjoy. With your help, we can produce journalism that embodies the values laid out by CP Scott, the Guardian’s famous editor. Those values are: honesty, cleanness (integrity), courage, fairness and a sense of duty to the reader and the community. These values were first mentioned in an essay Scott wrote to mark the paper’s centenary in 1921.

Thank you again for subscribing to the Guardian and Observer Digital Pack, it’s great to have you with us.

With best wishes

Anne Gowan
Head of Subscriptions

I do not believe that anyone can be politically active if they do not have reliable sources of information. I believe I have just made a small contribution to maintaining a great institution which will help to preserve our democracy.

David Walker
10/11/15

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