Sajid Javid on press freedom at the Society of Editors annual conference:

“The press exists not to pander to the powerful, but to hold them to account. And that applies whether they are Prime Ministers, business leaders, police officers or, yes, Secretaries of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Do I have days where I don’t agree with what I read in the newspapers? Of course. Have there been times when I’ve looked at the headlines and despaired at the way you’re treating my friends, colleagues and predecessors? Plenty. But should I be allowed to interfere and dictate what it is you should be saying? Never. As George Orwell said, “freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticise and oppose.” It’s one of the fundamental liberties on which modern Britain was built. There is no point in saying “I believe in freedom of the press, but…” Either you believe in it, or you don’t. It’s an absolute. A zero sum concept.”