The BBC’s Political Editor, Laura Kuenssberg, has gone public with how she’s been coming under attack by trolls from across the political spectrum on social media.

Aside from highlighting the nasty vindictiveness of many who use social media, the interview, given at a business lunch by Ms. Kuenssberg, also reflected the extent to which a free press is under attack in the United Kingdom.

From my perspective, Laura Kuenssberg has demonstrated impartiality in her reporting since she took over the role of Political Editor. For example, she does her utmost to reflect both sides of the debate when it comes to Brexit.

In addition to being vilified on social media, she also had to have bodyguards accompanying her at party conferences.

Her steadfast determination to resist these outrageous attacks came across in her interview when she made clear she would not succumb to the trolls

“I didn’t aspire to have the finger pointed at me. What they are trying to do is silence me,” she said.

“No matter how unpleasant and personal it might be, it is not as bad as what other journalists face around the world in much more difficult circumstances”.

In a world where egocentricity now rules in so many circles, that was an admirable and refreshing comment, putting things into perspective as it did. Although, as a former foreign correspondent, I occasionally witnessed fellow-journalists have some near misses, there was always a general respect for reporters doing their job – in most countries around the world where I worked.

I remember once being arrested by the police in apartheid South Africa while covering an anti-apartheid protest meeting (not the first time). The cops drove a couple of colleagues and me off to the local nick. A little while later a diplomat from the South African Foreign Ministry turned up at the police station and we were set free within minutes. I don’t know what words were exchanged between the diplomat and the police chief, but I’m guessing it was something along the lines of:

Diplomat: “Why have you arrested these journalists?”

Police chief: “They were reporting on a protest and thereby breaking the State of Emergency laws.”

Diplomat: “Maybe, but it’s not a good idea to arrest foreign journalists. Let them go.”

Nowadays, in so many other countries, the conversation would be:

Diplomat: “Why have you arrested these journalists?”

Police chief: “They’ve been writing articles about groups that oppose the government. We’re going to frame them for “terrorism.”

Diplomat: “Excellent. Keep them locked up and throw away the keys.”

There are just too many countries in which any report by a journalist that holds to account a government, a political party, a terrorist organisation or a campaigning group can lead to their arrest, being targeted, death or attempted public humiliation.

This has got to stop.

But where do we start?

As Ms. Kuenssberg suggests, the attacks on journalists in the UK pale into insignificance compared with those suffered by the media in many other countries.

However, there is one small way in which we can start redressing the balance in the UK.

Over recent years there’s been an increasing trend for political parties to hold a news conference that’s attended not just by journalists but by party activists as well.

Rounds of applause break out when one of the platform speakers makes a point. Journalists, who dare to put a pressing question to one of the speakers, can be booed or verbally abused.

This is not what a news conference should be about. They are not supposed to be a platform for party supporters to cheer on their party and its leaders. They should be the occasion when journalists hold the party leaders to account and get answers to their questions.

Therefore, it’s time for news organisations to fight back.

If I were the managing editor of a news organisation I would tell all political parties that none of my journalists will be attending any of their news conferences unless the news conference is for journalists only and not a jamboree for political activists.

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