John Cleese gave his view of the British press during an interview with Mark Lawson for Front Row last week:

I accept the fact that the press are going to get things wrong… What has disappointed me so much about the British press is that 20-30 years ago, they tried to get it right. They were slightly embarrassed if they didn’t and they might even sort of want to correct it. Now, it is my genuine experience that they’re not even interested in getting it right. They have it legalled, they run it past the solicitors, is it libellous – no – print it. I wish this inquiry that’s going on at the moment would get down to the fundamental issue, which is that they ought to be trying to get it right. It’s as simple as that… I think the most disappointing thing about England in my lifetime has been the deterioration of the newspapers.