an issue of personality, an issue of evil practice, i think that's where the press has failed our uncan. and i think on this particular issue of afghanistan, i could give you an example from the economic crisis, but this conflation of fact and opinion and the way it is done is very damaging, i think, to the reputation of the media. and i find it done differently in other countries. >> okay. mr. blair's speech, mr. brown, which was, i think, on the 12th of june, 2007, the day before he left and you took over, did you agree with the sentiments he expressed in that speech? >> i think tony was saying exactly what i'm saying today, that this issue of fact conflated with opinion, i've never used these words, nor would i use these words, and i think my sentiment about the importance of the press has been expressed in my earlier remarks to you, that we both need and should support and try to defend and uphold the best of standards in a free press. but i think his remarks were exactly what i'm saying. that if you set out to editorialize beyond your editorial column, if you conflate fact and opin

staff that are providing this local service, and i think you would find this in every part of the uncan that you -- the country that you go into and all across the world now. because an internet journalist who's someone who is sort of doing their own, if you like, self-journalism, you know, can put their views up on a screen and put their views across the world. but if they're not resourced and they're not doing proper research and there's no investigative journalism, then we're diminishing the quality of the output that is available to us. so it's not a straight answer to this problem that there's more people communicating on the internet. that's a good thing. when you don't have the research that is being done and the investigation that is being done to bring quality journalism. so my point to you is that we can deal with the issue of

staff that are providing this local service, and i think you would find this in every part of the uncan that you -- the country that you go into and all across the world now. because an internet journalist who's someone who is sort of doing their own, if you like, self-journalism, you know, can put their views up on a screen and put their views across the world. but if they're not resourced and they're not doing proper research and there's no investigative journalism, then we're diminishing the quality of the output that is available to us. so it's not a straight answer to this problem that there's more people communicating on the internet. that's a good thing. when you don't have the research that is being done and the investigation that is being done to bring quality journalism. so my point to you is that we can deal with the issue of complaints, and i think you have got excellent suggestions, and i do applaud what you are trying to move to there. and i would emphasize when i talk about the press complaints commission that without an investigative arm it cannot be successful. and the