Extracts from an email John Donovan received today from The Guardian newspaper.
Dear John,
One of the cardinal rules of news reporting is to keep yourself out of it. We are here to tell stories about other people, not about ourselves. Very occasionally, there are exceptions that warrant a personal touch, but in general reporters should take steps to ensure that their copy does not succumb to an I-infection.
Last week we broke the rule with some news about the Guardian. We declared that we will no longer accept advertising from fossil fuel extractive industries.
We are the first major global news organisation to turn our backs on the oil and gas industry. The move will cost us money. But we felt obliged to act because the greenwashing that these industries indulge in is increasingly at odds with our editorial efforts to highlight the mounting climate emergency and the huge task ahead. You can’t keep saying that the ship is sinking while at the same time extolling the virtues of icebergs.
So if you know of anyone who you think might admire a principled stand like this, please feel free to forward this email to them, perhaps with a short entreaty encouraging them to join our million-person movement.
*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.
