Protect REAL news

IN his report into the Press, Lord Justice Leveson dedicated just 12 out of 2,000 pages to the growth of online news. He was also clear about its low importance, concluding ‘people will not assume that what they read on the internet is trustworthy’, and making no recommendations about how to regulate social media or non-newspaper websites.

The scale of this omission has been exposed by events in the US this week, where an online news organisation, Buzzfeed – which first gained attention for amusing lists – has published a dossier of explosive allegations against Presidentelect Donald Trump involving Russian secret agents.

In doing so, its editors made no pretence of having verified the contents, and simply told the public they should make up their own minds.

Social media sites are already struggling under a torrent of so- called fake news, with significant implications for democracy.

Meanwhile, newspapers like the Mail face the greatest threat to their future in modern history. Those which refuse to sign up to a state regulator, Impress, funded by former F1 tycoon Max Mosley, could be forced to pay both sides in any libel case – even if they published the truth. When fake news can spread around the world in an instant, why are we shackling the responsible Press?

FIRST Mark Carney, who disgracefully allowed the Bank of England to become an agent of Project Fear, says the EU has more to lose than the UK from Brexit. Now the City’s main lobbying group has dropped demands for Britain to stay in the single market and retain so- called ‘passporting’ rights for financial services firms. It’s not before time, but the Mail welcomes these clear signs the City appears to be coming around to Brexit.

THIS newspaper has little hope for a ‘revolutionary’ new system of cameras mounted on bin lorries to help spot potholes before they form. Wouldn’t councils be better off fixing the millions already blighting our roads?