Lionel Barber is Editor of the Financial Times. In this in-depth interview, he discusses his long career, including covering the end of the Cold War, the first Gulf War and several US presidential campaigns; takes us behind the scenes of his interviews with some of the biggest global leaders, and reveals what Putin is really like in person; recalls his recent visit to the “chaotic” White House, meeting with a “self-conscious” President Trump; argues that Facebook and other “big platforms” have a responsibility to tackle fake news, and suggests strategies to contain its spread; and why politics has become more “divisive”, resulting in Brexit and an “assault” on journalism.