Britain's Prince Harry has has been serving with the military in Afghanistan, fighting in forward areas. His presence was kept secret under an agreement between the military and the media.
Blogger Matt Drudge broke the silence Thursday, and the British are now calling him home, fearing that his presence would be a magnet for attacks and endanger his unit as a whole and him as an individual.
Assess the Drudge Report's responsibility here. Did he make the right call? Were other media outlets right to agree to the blackout?
Here's the take from an ethics expert at the Poynter Institute.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Outing Prince Harry
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4 comments:
I don't know. I understand why the government would want to keep his deployment secret, I mean he would be a huge target in Afghanistan and would only increase the danger for his fellow troops had the news gotten out. However, I think it was irresponsible for the media to agree to such a long black-out. There had to be a better arrangement than not reporting on a major story like this for 6 months.
Drudge Report sounds to me like he makes American journalists look bad.
The Drudge report interestingly enough supposedly also broke the Monica Lewinsky scandal i read, so this isn't the first time it's had its nose where it doesn't belong.
I think the press blackout was appropriate. There was no public interest in it beyond the novelty of celebrity and the release of the information absolutely put his safety at risk. A man going to war is not a news worthy event and the fact that he is a celebrity was the only reason it made national news. I think the reasons for withholding far outweighed the reasons for release.
The Drudge Report is a site that links to other news sources and then its founder (of the same name) occasionally writes columns that get him in trouble. Apparently he got the story from a Australian lifestyle magazine. He should in no way be considered a journalist.
He wanted to be able to do his duty just like the rest of the soldiers in his unit. He did not want any special treatment or any favors being done just because he was a prince. All he was trying to do was serve his country, and now because some "journalist" more interested in making a dollar went and shattered that. I think this is irresponsible because it unnecessarilly puts him and his unit in grave danger. This is no different than when Geraldo Rivera started drawing US troop movements in the sand at the beginning of the Iraq War.
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