But I do think that Brexit, an exit of Britain from the European Union, would trigger real pressure on the United Kingdom.

We have Trumpist (ph) tendencies in Europe. Look up Marine Le Pen in France. Look at the Five Star Movement headed by a clown by profession, Beppe Grillo, in Italy.

We British play an important role in Europe, even if we have a traditional and historical ambivalence towards the continent.

There were always plenty of newspapers in the house. The Times, Guardian, Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail were all regular fixtures on the coffee table. I used to enjoy reading The Times editorial pages and the Daily Mail sports pages.

But I do think that Brexit, an exit of Britain from the European Union, would trigger real pressure on the United Kingdom.

As a cub reporter, I devoured books about journalism.

Thanks to social media such as Facebook and Twitter, a far wider range of people take part in gathering, filtering and distributing news.