Security and Safety – these have to be exceptions to the media’s pursuit of money and fame (face it, the ‘people need to know’ excuse is just to cover up the true motivations). And this includes Prince Harry’s tour of duty to his country. I have seen and heard the lamest excuses from the media side on why it is OK to put the young man and his mates in danger. BUt it all boils down to the fact reporters want to expose anything and everything so they can fatten their pay checks.

The fact is security has always been a good reason to not report ‘news’, so there is no leg to stand on in this case. Basically, reporting Prince Harry was in Afghanistan was the same as reporting his position. The UK has 7800 soldiers deployed in Helmund Province, which narrows down the work any assassin requires to accomplish his mission. Forces in Afghanistan must be on patrol and it would take little time to determine which unit was Harry’s if the media had been reporting on his activities there. That would neutralize the efforts of Prince Harry’s units and make the whole exercise more and effort to protect the royal family’s jewel than help Afghanistan

To me this is akin to knowing the President’s travel route and reporting it because the impulse for fame and money overtook any sense of professionalism or concern for the President and the nation. We have seen many US officials, the President included, travel into the theatre of operations in Iraq and the media had enough self control to announce the news when the administration was ready to have it announced. In the case of those quick trips there was a window when the news could come out because the officials were heading out within a time frame that made taking action against them nearly impossible.

Harry’s deployment extended that time frame before word could come out from days to months. But the time frame for keeping the information from the public should not make the general process any different. The media needs to learn to hold themselves together for ANY amount of time required when it comes to national or personal security. And those who can’t manage to control the greedy impulses can just be banned if they are not up to the professional requirements associated with access to critical information.