Poynter Institute's Scholar for Journalistic Values Bob Steele must not plan on bending an elbow at a British pub anytime soon. Not only did Steele scold the journalists who agreed to keep Prince Harry's Afghanistan deployment secret, he condescendingly dismissed Harry's honorable service to his country (emphasis mine):
But even if one accepts that news reports might heighten a danger, there are other logical challenges to this secrecy about Harry the soldier. To the best of my knowledge, there was no compelling reason for Prince Harry to go to Afghanistan as an army officer. There was nothing essential that he, personally, brought to the battlefield. He had no specific duty or skill that was irreplaceable. Praise him, if you will, for his spirit or his patriotism. But it's certainly not justification for the risks taken or the journalistic principles sacrificed.
Steele went on to call the gentleman's agreement a "conspiratorial cabal" that "delivered a serious hit to the principle of journalistic independence." Of course, it's hard to fathom how great "risks" were taken or "journalistic principles sacrificed" if Harry is just another expendable bloke, to borrow from Chris Cuomo.
(h/t Press Here)
Photo via Steele's profile page at Poynter.org.
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If there was nothing
March 6, 2008 - 13:26 ET by KhyrisIf there was nothing essential, nothing special about Harry's deployment, then what journalistic principles were "sacrificed" by not reporting on such a "non-story"?
Quite the opposite, journalists have a long-standing TRADITION of not reporting on the activities of "average" troops.
1960's premise: anything
March 6, 2008 - 13:26 ET by mattm1960's premise: anything regarding the military is automatically wrong, and is fair game for ridicule, insult, denigration, etc. There is no thinking involved. It just the anti-military template and fill in the blanks... I have no respect for these people.
Must be kidding
March 6, 2008 - 13:57 ET by pagar" the journalistic principles sacrificed." Journalistic principles ended the day Walter Cronkite picked up the North Vietnamese propaganda sheet (which said that the Tet Offensive was a great victory for America's enemies) and read it to America as some kind of great truth that he believed. In fact, IMO, they have gone downhill continuely since them. Any used car saleman has to have higher principles than today's journalist, just to stay in business. The only journalists I have any faith in are military pro America bloggers.
There's an interesting parallel here
March 6, 2008 - 13:31 ET by Mike HammerI would like to point out how little Steele, as a journalist, brings to the table. It's easy to say a soldier is just another soldier, but let someone say that journalists are a dime-a-dozen and I'm sure he'd cry.
In other words...
March 6, 2008 - 14:03 ET by mattm...he's expendable (as are about 90 percent of them)
Stupidity...
March 6, 2008 - 13:32 ET by ExtirpaterThere is no law against it, and Bob uses that fact to his advantage. He states no facts, these are all sujective judgements. These are similar to belly buttons, everyone has, at least, one.
I'd say he's more similar
March 6, 2008 - 13:51 ET by ArchConservativeI'd say he's more similar to a certain rear orafice than a belly button.
To HELL with 'journalistic principles'
March 6, 2008 - 13:48 ET by ArchConservativeAnother anti-military liberal/socialist who would love to be the first to print on the front page with his name attached, the battle plans and troop locations of all Allied service members. He is another one who would say that he doesn't care that it put troops lives in danger or that troops were killed because of his article, stating that "journalistic principles" outweighed everything else. Another leftist fighting against America and her allies while helping in every way possible the enemies of freedom.
You support the troops by supporting the mission! If you don't support the mission, have the guts to say you don't support the troops.
Pathetic, ungrateful,
March 6, 2008 - 14:05 ET by bigtimerPathetic, ungrateful, selfish, spoiled rotten critters like Steele should be on their knees thanking these fine men who have fought and given their lives for these POS to spew their leftist garbage...they all make me ill.
There was absolutely no justification to do what they did IMHO.
Good for Prince Harry....I thank him and all who serve.
Sense when did a journalist
March 6, 2008 - 14:10 ET by bassndudeSense when did a journalist ever know anything about "sacrifice"? This guy belittles the courage demonstrated by Harry in his willingness to serve with his men, officer or not. This guy is just mad cause journalists dont recive the praise they think they deserve. Just a disgraceful, inbread ingrate!
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
"Not worth sacrifice of jounalistic principles??"
March 6, 2008 - 14:52 ET by m36b1This crap from Mr. Steele is rich... the same journalists used just the opposite argument to conservatives regarding the war - "why don't you send your own kids" or "why don't you go there and fight yourself". So when one of them actually is over there, the mantra changes to "oh - he's expendable, he's a dupe, he added nothing to the effort". What a bunch of crap. And this from the same set of MSM drones who decry the loss of a SINGLE innocent in the middle of a war... Oh, but according to the esteemed Mr. Steele, one soldier is certainly not worth sacrificing "journalist principles", whatever that load of crap implies when it comes to the MSM. Sickening.
Self-righteous jackass
March 6, 2008 - 15:03 ET by greenfairieLike Chris Cuomo, another self-righteous jackass journo. Is it any wonder the press rates lower than used car salesmen or lawyers for the least-liked, least-trusted profession?
criticism of the prince
March 6, 2008 - 15:29 ET by soosanI think the prince acted honorably. He believed that it would be wrong for him to lead his unit unless he had faced the same challenges and trials. Our republican president T. Roosevelt would have said "bully for him".
As to what the journalists think, I could care less.
Stupidity...
March 6, 2008 - 15:57 ET by ExtirpaterThere is no law against it, and Bob uses that fact to his advantage. He states no facts, these are all sujective judgements. These are similar to belly buttons, everyone has, at least, one.