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[Poll]

The media and "secrets"

If it's news, print it.

12% (4)

There should be a line drawn, somewhere.

74% (23)

I only read the National Enquirer.

3% (1)

I only "read" Playboy.

3% (1)

I can't read. What the fuck am I doing here?

6% (2)

Total Votes : 31

(last vote on : 3/15/2008 9:00:45 AM)
(Poll will run till: -- )

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The media and "secrets" - 2/29/2008 3:51:33 AM

Level

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The Prince Harry story was the impetus for this poll. Are there things the media should not comment on? Are all things fair game?

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RE: The media and "secrets" - 2/29/2008 4:29:51 AM

Muttling

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Greetings dude!!!

I respect your thoughts on the other thread and agree with them. IMO, Prince Harry should not serve in combat if his presence is something that draws enemy attention. Doing so puts his fellow soldiers at far greater risk for no good reason. I feel sorry for him being put in such a situation, but he should be pulled out now that it has become knowledge to the enemy. Otherwise, special provisions would be required for his unit and that has a great number of detrimental reprocutions.

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RE: The media and "secrets" - 2/29/2008 7:00:00 AM

TheHeretic

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Great question, Level. Figuring out where those lines should be, and more importantly, who draws them, is the camel's nose on the slippery slope though.

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RE: The media and "secrets" - 2/29/2008 7:04:48 AM

lauren0221

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I'm for drawing the line too. And I think we, the public need to share some of the responsibility. If people didn't buy/read/feed off all of the sensationalist crap that really is not anything we need to know, the publications would stop printing it?

And yes, it is also a slippery slope.

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RE: The media and "secrets" - 3/2/2008 4:24:44 PM

ShhImNotHere

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Good Poll

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RE: The media and "secrets" - 3/2/2008 4:28:27 PM

colouredin

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Problem is if you start drawing lines where do you stop, you get to a case of censorship and limiting free speech. I would say therefore everything is fair game, it has to be for free press to work

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RE: The media and "secrets" - 3/2/2008 5:05:12 PM

MMagicsfaith1

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i agree with colouredin, you cannot really have a "free press" with censorship and limited free speech. However, imho, i think that journalists (and for some i use that term very loosely) and their publications must be held accountable for what they print. Because of their ability to reach millions and the tendency for many of those millions to accept whatever they see in print as the truth, journalists should hold themselves to a higher standard. Yeah yeah...only in the ideal world i know, but one can still hope. Slander and libel laws may be useful in protecting an individual's character, but journalists who show flagrant disregard for human life and the physical safety of others, e.g., publishing the location of a safe house for abused spouses and children, should be held legally responsible for any harm suffered as a result of their callous irresponsibility.

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RE: The media and "secrets" - 3/2/2008 5:13:48 PM

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Thanks to all for the responses.

Every time I think of this subject, I'm amazed at how the media kept FDR's near-inability to walk a secret like they did...... were they right to do so?

What if a media source did a story that ended up costing several hundred troops thier lives?

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RE: The media and "secrets" - 3/2/2008 5:23:35 PM

NaiveTempest

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Great post. I was not too surprised about the story of his whereabouts getting out because they ( the "News") were talking about the unit he was with getting called up a long time ago. I think it's really sad that for a buck some journalists would tell everybody and their mom the Prince's location. How could they not understand that would put his entire unit at risk, because then terrorists would begin hunting his unit down looking for him as an "ultimate prize"? And since, more then likely, they DID understand that would occur, how the hell could they stand themselves? Some of the stories I read and/or hear off in the News just makes me wonder about the rights of free press vs. other rights.......

< Message edited by NaiveTempest -- 3/2/2008 5:27:05 PM >

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RE: The media and "secrets" - 3/2/2008 5:50:03 PM

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Another what if scenario: let's say the jihadists did find Harry's unit (that just doesn't sound right ), killed 20 of his comrades, and spent the next two weeks torturing him on the internet. Could they have lived with themselves, NT? I know I'd have a tough time with it...

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RE: The media and "secrets" - 3/3/2008 2:14:19 AM

LadyEllen

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There have to be lines, quite simply, to avoid endangering national and personal security.

But at the same time our free media is a great thing. Our enemies read it and watch it and listen to it. If we imposed a blanket ban then that would protect us perhaps, but what is better is a policy of information management whereby we have some true stories which may risk a little, and use the media to disperse disinformation too, which seems to hand our enemies all they need but which really gives nothing away and if relied upon by them, would endanger our enemies or at least inhibit or misdirect them.

One thing I am sure of there should also be lines drawn to forbid the sorts of character assassinations which we see in the tabloids and gossip magazines. Quite simply, taking Britney as an example, it is simply not relevant to her career as an (ahem) artist, nor to interest in her (ahem) art, as to what she does off stage. Such reporting does no one any good, including the people who find such reporting interesting. And where it concerns our Sunday tabloids here in the UK, who delight in reporting such stories as "Gay Nazi Vicar Denies Satanic Sex Rituals" and destroying the lives not of celebrities but of ordinary people, there needs to be a ban. I'd like to see the news media publishing news, not tittle tattle for the entertainment of the mindless masses, and certainly not taking a moral stance - aside from the mindless masses who would benefit from working things out themselves, most of us can judge right from wrong from the facts reported. Some will argue that there are laws to protect us from libel - but pursuing a libel case here at least, requires very deep pockets indeed - and sadly, mud sticks regardless.

E

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RE: The media and "secrets" - 3/6/2008 11:48:00 PM

scifi1133

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Its time they took some responsibility.

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RE: The media and "secrets" - 3/15/2008 2:09:56 AM

Owned1

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The news would be far better if they quoted correctly, if not the exact quote at least in the correct contex,

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RE: The media and "secrets" - 3/15/2008 6:34:15 AM

PrizedPosession

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We paraphrase

Trust me no paper wants to print a retraction, it's an embarrasement and it leads to distrust from the readers. But what Lauren said is right the media uses your reaction to figure out what to print. People forget but it's a business. If people aren't reading/watching it will go away because no one cares.

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