Shame on The Times

Jean Seaton who, with her colleagues on the board of the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, was unequivocal in her praise for blogger Night Jack, who was awarded the 2009 prize.

In today’s Guardian she responds to the schoolboy glee of Times Media Correspondent, Patrick Foster and colleagues in unmasking him – as Dc Richard Horton of Lancashire Constabulary – and precipitating an immediate written reprimand pending a full disciplinary investigation.

In addition to the apposite observation that, in an Orwellian twist, the deletion of his blog has erased it from the pages of history (forgetting Google Cache, for the moment) she allays concerns that he was identifying and potentially prejudicing ongoing investigations:

Even odder is their main accusation against him: that the blog revealed material about identifiable court cases. The blog did not do this – cases were disguised. However, once the Times had published Horton’s name then, of course, it is easy to find the cases he was involved with.

Yeah, good one, Times. I have been through today’s edition, but cannot find anything fresh on Horton. Keeping a low profile? You are an absolute disgrace. Same goes for that be-ermine’d twat, Mr. Justice Eady.

 

UPDATE – Next Left has linked to this missive, so I will reciprocate and link to its comprehensive round-up of the blogosphere’s – left and right, up and down, here and there – being united in one thing: disgust at The Times.