Honouring the independence of Reuters

We were schooled to believe that Reuters’ independence meant it was above accepting honours from any government. There was some consternation when Gerry Long received an Ethiopian order and a question mark hangs over the appropriateness of a more recent knighthood. In Mohsin's case, it is probably true to say that Reuters was never again that close to the Foreign Office (and a good thing, too). I wonder, also, if Leslie Dowd was offered and declined an honour after reporting the Falklands War. Other journalists with him received MBEs.

Honours and the independence of Reuters ■