A while ago I had a mini rant about the Daily Record front page. I sent them an email of complaint.

And they wrote back-

Dear Mr Pattinson

With regard to your email, can I firstly apologise for the delay in replying.

As editor of the day in charge of that particular edition, it was my decision to publish the pictures you found distasteful.

I can appreciate your concern over the graphic images and I apologise if they caused offence. The decision was not taken lightly.

The picture on the front page was of a captured American who, while injured, was not dead. That very point was made clear in the caption. However, I do agree that the image, taken in context with the headline “Executed”, would convey that the soldier had died.

Up to that point, all media coverage of the war had been extremely santitised and I used the image to illustrate the horrors of the conflict and the brutality of the Iraqi regime.

Had the soldier in question been British, I would never have considered publication as the image would have been too distressing for his family and freinds. Because he was an American, there was no question of the serviceman’s family ever seeing the Daily Record.

With hindsight, I would be extremely reluctant to use such an image again.

I hope you reconsider your decision to cancel your newspaper order and once again apologise if you were offended.

‘…there was no question of the serviceman’s family ever seeing the Daily Record.’ Oh good grief.

But he can rest assured that as I’ve never subscribed to the Daily Record, and didn’t even bother picking up the offending edition, they haven’t lost a reader.