Prince harry and the media blackout. soft censorship?

Question

how can anyone be at ease when knowing that us the public were kept in the dark for 10 weeks about harry's deployment in afghanistan? this is a proof that we the public are always the last one to know about anything and it is always a watered down version of the story. what else are they still hiding from us? should we really take El Fayed more seriously then? what other information tailored to they desire can they feed us? i mean this is scary! it is a smoke screen for censorship! please tell me i am not the only one who thinks this?

Answer 1

The government asked the press to keep quiet, big deal!

This is the difference between "in the public interest" and "the public is interested". No-one seems to understand the difference these days. Ask yourself this: are you really entitled to know if it will endanger someones life? Especially if not knowing won't actually make a blind bit of difference to you? This doesn't worry me in the slightest and it shouldn't worry you. If anything is REALLY secret do you honestly think our exalted media would know about it in the first place? Anyway they were asked to keep quiet, not forced. Check out the meaning of a "D" notice.

Answer 2

Exactly the reason that I dont pay the BBC  licence fee.

Why should I fund the government mouthpiece that gives TV cameras to Palestinians and then broadcasts the filming as objective reporting.

It makes me sick,the state is aware of every aspect of our lives,justifying the intrusion with cliches such as "if you arent doing anything wrong then you have nothing to hide".So why doesnt the state practice what it preaches?The Blair years have proved that the state is certainly not always a force for good.

edit.

With respect,some other answerers are so toe curlingly naive.

Do they really think Harry or any of his squad were ever in any danger with half the US air force blacking out the sky above him?

Of course the information wasnt leaked so that Harry would be "forced to return home to protect his comrades" and the press would get the blame and Harrys a hero....now back tucked up in his silk monogrammed pyjamas.

Answer 3

The public does not know every single solider who is fighting. Why should he be any different?

Answer 4

Is it REALLY anyone else's business where Prince Harry was deployed?  No one else cares about anyone else in his group, just Harry, and suddenly, knowing the whereabouts of a young man who will never be more than the king's little bro is the most important news item of the day?!

Give the poor guy a chance.  Everyone makes fun of him for being a "useless" royal, but the one time he DOES try to make a contribution, just like regular folks, everyone goes nuts. Make up your mind, people!!

It's not censorship -- the media agreed, for the safety of Harry and especially those around him, that the story wasn't worth reporting.  He's in the army, he wanted to serve, and that's all there was to it. No more or no less than other other bloke in his unit. I think it is despicable of Drudge to break the secrecy on this.  The public is NOT entitled to know everything, especially if it places other people in danger.  

There are LOTS of things you don't know -- why do you think THIS particular thing is scary?  Get over it -- the things that you don't know don't impact your life or have any bearing on how you live your life -- what makes you entitled to be a know-it-all?

I, personally, would love one of those olive green shirts that have a "I'm Harry" on it -- sorta like "I am Spartacus!"  Poor kid is just trying to find his place in life -- leave him alone.

Answer 5

The public should have the right to know when lives or security isn't at stake.  If the media would of published prior to Prince Harry's deployment it could have put him and others in danger.  

Do you remember what Geraldo Rivera did?

Answer 6

the public weren't told because like every British citizen Harry has the right to go to Afghanistan and fight for his country and if we had been told it would have put the other soldiers there in danger that's why they brought Harry back now. they don't announce on Sky news when bill from next door goes to Afghanistan so why do they have to tell you Harry has gone. Prince or not he is a man and he would have done way more harm than good if the Taliban new he was there.

Answer 7

The reason it wasn't public was that it would endanger the troops around him if it was known he was stationed there. It was idiot reporting that the public ever found out.

Besides, why do you NEED to know where Prince Harry is at all times?

EDIT: Why are you thumbs downing everyone, why would you ask a question just to hear the same thing you think? Ignorant close-minded people disgust me...

Answer 8

We had no reason to be told that Harry was in Afghanistan.

Had we been told earlier he would have been brought back home sooner. Personally, I am happy enough to not know certain things.

Answer 9

oh for goodness sake - it is not scary - do you think the papers tell you absolutley everything that goes on in the world -  of courser they don't.  In most cases they tell you what sells newpapers.  

In this case the blackout happened to protect the forces in Afghanistan - if the fact that harry was in afghanistan was publicised there would have been a hugely increased risk to our men out there as it would have been a huge political gain for the terrorists for harry to be killed

When you hear the newspaper editors speak this was a huge deal for them to have some information and not to share it.  It is not something that would readily happen today

Why do people go and read all sorts into something that makes complete sense - to let harry do the job he was trained to do and to let out soldiers have the best possible chance of living!

Answer 10

The public don't need to know every detail of what the royal family is up to.

Harry, as a member of the Army, has the right and duty to serve time in Afghanistan, just as every other member of the armed forces.

The media blackout only happened to ensure Harry's and his comrades safety and not to make them a target.

Answer 11

Harry is a soldier, I do not care about his whereabouts, nor do I care about the whereabouts of the rest of the British Army.

I would care about Harry's whereabouts if me and the rest of the World knowing them put firstly his fellow soldiers, (he didn't have to go), and secondly him in danger.

Apart from being third in line to the throne and spending his latter years opening leisure centres and public gardens, he isn't exactly an important person outside the front page of the Sun.

Answer 12

I don't care about him, he is just an other person to me.

Answer 13

The public didn't have the need to know.

Answer 14

You'd rather know that Prince Harry was deployed rather than keep that quiet so he and his unit could be safe?  Public knowledge is one thing, but not everything should be made public knowledge.  The safety/security of all involved should be the main factor.