I'm reminded by all this of Hannen Swaffer's definition of Freedom of the press in Britain which, he said, means 'the freedom to print such of the proprietor's prejudices as the advertisers don't object to'.

Swaffer, who died in 1962 was an influential(and entertaining)leftish journalist, regretted now only for his occasional racism. 'Occasional' in that sentence is not intended to dismiss such unpleasant lapses, but to indicate that, as a matter of fact, they were visible up only occasionally.

He lived in a flat facing Trafalgar Square which, he said, would give him a grandstand view when the revolution came.