I never had the chance to read the excellent blog written by NightJack - An English Detective and I am really kicking myself because this award winning site has been removed from the internet. Why…? he was forced into deleting his content by the courts and the threat of charges. He was forced to reveal his identity. (Though do some searching and his posts will be archived or cached somewhere online).

NightJack is a policeman who wrote about law, policing, issues in society that we are all interested in. Because of his profession he chose – as was his right – to blog anonymously. Unfortunately freedom of expression is not extended to the individual in British society as much as we would like to believe, and fear of recriminations from authorities sometimes force an individual to ‘hide’ who he/she is.

The Times went to court to win the right to publish NightJack’s real name – Richard Horton – after one journalist decided that NightJack just might be getting more readership than his newspaper employer…(my opinion there of course). NightJack’s blog was incredibly successful, award winning (the Orwell Award no less) and honest.

Maybe newspapers are feeling threatened by ‘the blogger’ – maybe we are proving to be too much competition for sites like TimesOnline. We can write what your typical hack is too restricted by political correctness to even dare suggest. I write this blog as forthright and honestly as possible – all opinions are my own and I choose not to be anonymous, my name is freely seen here on the pages. If NightJack wanted a nom-de-plume, as many newspaper columnists retain the right to have, then why not the blogger…?

The Independent published a recent article about him – Online and Under Cover - and respected his right to keep his identity secret – so what the hell is it with The Times? politicians can choose anonymity, criminals like Tracey Connolly and Stephen Barker can be awarded the privilege of anonymity – magistrates can make appallingly shocking court judgements and never have to answer for their decision. But the blogger now has no right to the same.

In modern day Great Britain the right to express one’s opinions as one see’s fit – disclosed or undisclosed – has been killed by, of all things, a newspaper.

Quote from NightJack:

” I believe that as bloggers we are mostly short levers in a political world”

His blog might be gone but no doubt the book will follow.

Related Blog Posts: Hopi Sen – A Blog from the Backroom - he’s angry!

Iain Dale’s Diary – NightJack Blogger to be Unmasked

Journalism is Dead - As the print media competes with high profile bloggers, what do you think…?