I'm struggling with this - he is the editor, he supports his reporters when they are harrassed, he throws an idiotic government move into sharp relief, he is still pumping out page one stories when the rest of the press think "Prince says baby son is rascal" is news.
We are not living in 80's Poland, or 30's Russia, or modern Iran / Syria. So on the spectrum of courage-shown-by-news-editors he is never going to choose between his family and his editorial page, but he is doing better than all the rest of his peers - and we sorely need it.
Maybe he does more than some of his peers but the qualities you describe hardly meet the bare minimum of what the public should expect from an editor. And, while exceedingly few, there are reporters who are head and shoulders above Rudsbridger and who report in service to the public at great harm to themselves and their family, Greenwald being an example at hand.
But no one asked Rudsbridger to sacrifice his family nor was he at risk to. As an editor he should have demanded a court order before destroying source material. He should not now pretend he is a courageous government-defying reporter when he has minimized risk to himself.
> qualities you describe hardly meet the bare minimum of what the public should expect from an editor.
Or from head of MI5, head of Civil Service, Attourney Generals, Prime Minister.
There is a lot unknown here, but I think you are assuming he allowed the destruction so that it could not be proven they had it in the first place (making him safer).
There are other explanations - including a desire not to let UK courts have jurisdication over his sources. He is moving the entire reporting to NY - thats a pretty clear indication of his thinking. Choose your jury wisely.
He has removed himself and any reporter not based in New York. He knows the strength of the first amendment in US courts, National Security letters or not.
No UK reporter will do any work on surveillance any more, simply because the UK has too much power over the press when it really wants to. Going to court in the US gives him a near certain win, going to court in the UK a near certain loss.
To paraphrase Napoleon: I would rather have a clever editor than a brave one, and a lucky editor than a clever one. He got lucky with the UK destroying the disks in a heavy handed manner.
To send Alan Rusbridger an email of support: alan.rusbridger@theguardian.com
I'm drafting an email here http://blog.mikadosoftware.com/2013/08/20/supporting-a-free-... but send something - a few people standing up are worth supporting.