Hello guys, glad to see I was not the only one enraged by this piece of journalism. It seems a lot of people in civvy street are as outraged by this as we are.
Here is what one of my colleagues' wife wrote to Mr Drake. Bet it does not get published.
Mr Drake, please can you explain to me how a newspaper whose jingoist strategy to the military has been exploited to increase circulation, profit and to engender support from it's readership can draft such a short-sighted, ill informed and irresponsible article. The NOTW court the public with their alleged support for the troops and soldiers that are fighting overseas to make Canary Wharf a safer place for their journalists to work in and for you write a an article stabbing the guys and their families in the back. Yet at the same time marketing your newspaper's support for them to gain more readers and make more profit. Please tell me why?
Then one day you'll go into theatre in Afghanistan, hunting for your gong, reporting from the frontline, shedding your armour so that you can gain promotion and show yourself to your colleagues that you are exposed to danger and those guys that you have misunderstood and lampooned will have to protect you as you jeopardise their mission for your own self promotion. And when you are wanting a scoop and want them to share some nugget with you that displays you in that coveted blaze of glory for your revered editor you'll wonder why they look at you as if they want to kill you and turn their back on you. They will never trust you now.
I ask you this Mr Drake, what sacrifice have you made for your country? What altruistic act have you done for your colleagues? What altruistic act have you ever done in your life? Are you married? Do you have children? Does your wife raise them alone while you fight to keep the country a safer place for them to grow up in? If you go to Afghanistan to report on the story and are injured should we send a Chinook out to pick you up?
Is that a good use of a valuable resource in such short supply? Would you ask them to not to because there are troops much worthier than a journalist who has forgotten his professional responsibility to:
to serve the public with news and information as free of bias and distortion as is within his skill to do so.
to bring balance, depth and perspective to the work he offers, so it may enlighten and inform.
to times remain mindful of the distinction between opinion and journalism and make it clear in which voice he is speaking.
To honour the public trust, by refusing to use his influence as a journalist to advance the propaganda of governments, organizations or advertisers.
To protect the secrecy of my confidential sources to ensure the public’s right to know is not thwarted by conspiracies of silence.
Not to libel another person’s character, reputation or legacy.
To show commitment to this noble public trust in concord with all journalists of goodwill and integrity, for the betterment of the communities that you serve.
Or have you sold your soul Mr Drake?
I think that you can do better than this Mr Drake - don't you. Shame on you.
Yours with fury,
XXXX XXXXXXXX (Name hidden by me for obvious reasons)
Please pass this on!