Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

 
 
Saturday, 19th July 2008 Change Date

Premium Article !

Your account has been frozen. For your available options click the below button.

Options

Premium Article !

To read this article in full you must have registered and have a Premium Content Subscription with the The Scotsman site.

Subscribe

Registered Article !

To read this article in full you must be registered with the site.

Sign In
Register

Newsreader in row over website



Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

JON Snow, the anchor of Channel 4 News, yesterday praised the US website which published details of Prince Harry's deployment in Afghanistan.
British newspapers and broadcasters, including The Scotsman, though aware of the prince's involvement in fighting against the Taleban since December, chose not the publish the information for security reasons.

However, Mr Snow, no stranger to con
troversy, having previously refused to wear a Remembrance Day poppy on-air in protest at "poppy fascism", said the decision by the Drudge Report site to publish the information brought an end the "British media's conspiracy of silence".

In his regular e-mail sent out to subscribers and echoed on Thursday evening's programme during a live debate, Mr Snow, the grandson of Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas D'Oyly Snow, a decorated First World War hero, expressed his relief that the website had taken such a stance.

He wrote: "Editors have been sworn to secrecy over Prince Harry being sent to fight in Afghanistan – Drudge has blown their cover. One wonders whether viewers, readers and listeners will ever want to trust the media again?"

Channel 4 said it had had 91 telephone complaints and watchdog Ofcom a further four over the comments.





The full article contains 202 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 29 February 2008 10:12 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Prince Harry , Afghanistan
 
1

indune1,

01/03/2008 03:43:14

Jon Snow - what a freakin' egomaniac. What has he ever accomplished?

Anchor of Channel 4. Now, there's something the whole world tunes to.

Doesn't wear a poppy on Armistice Day? A small-minded, petty individual. Shun him. That's the only thin the media pays attention to.
2

Biker,

Ayr 01/03/2008 13:18:33
I was glad to hear that the website had been located. How dare they attempt to hide this sort of information.
As for john Snow, I never actually regarded him as an egomaniac. But he has accomplished many years in the broadcasting industry and won awards. The fact that he dos'nt chose to wear a poppy on armisice day hardly gives him that over infated title, and it seems that this is the only hook you have.
3

OscarMacApfel,

Dumfries 01/03/2008 18:08:43
Well done Mr Snow, if 'they' can hide this from us, what else are they hiding from public consumption.

A compliant press = fascism.
4

indune1,

01/03/2008 20:18:17

3 - A compliant press = communism.

Won awards in broadcasting industry? Ah, yes the BBC, which doctors and manipulates film footage for their desired effect.

Don't put too much faith in the good fifth estate. It is not a paragon of virtue - it is a business.
5

Anthony,

Glasgow 02/03/2008 12:36:22
There does seem to be a deliberate seige mentality being promoted as justifiying undue cover-ups. Of course no one wants Harry to be placed in danger. It was not however felt necessary to have media censorship when Andrew was involved in the Falklands conflict. Censorship can be justified in some cases - but only truely exceptional ones. In this case, it wasn't justified, because there was a viable and sensible alternative - simply don't send Harry to Afghanistan. I'm not criticising Harry here, it's understandable what he wanted to do. But his wishes should have be counter-weighted against the cost to liberty of conducting a cover-up so readily. Mr Snow has a point there. And yes, it does raise the question as to what else may be getting censored. We put up with a load of nonsense from the media, on the pretext that we need a free media. But what if they do not behave as such, but as obedient lapdogs to the state?
6

Biker,

Ayr 03/03/2008 11:51:24
I would guess that Harrywas sent as a publicity stunt and the release of this news was timed. He needs all the help he can get as his popularity seems to be lower than a snakes belly. Hero prince... pffffff I doubt it.
7

Upbeat,

07/03/2008 10:22:56
Had Mr Snow been just a few years older, than he now appears to be, he would have had an opportunity provided to him by the state to understand the military, he would have been involved in Compulsory National service.

Practically all modern politicians, and jounalists have no first hand experience of the Armed services, They are the first generation of British for many centuries for whom the idea of offering themselves for the greater good has been a free option that they chose not to exercise.

Whether Mr Snow can comprehend the need for operational secrecy is the issue. There is no more pointless martial practice than forewarning the enemy :

eg: " I'm ready now, is it all right, old boy, if I smack you on the left cheek. ? "

Mr Snow should reflect on how the freedom to express his view was safeguarded by his parnets and grandparents generation...yes...and with real restrictions on what could be revealed at that time too .

 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
RSS Feed of this article's comments
Delivery formats: RSS, Atom, Javascript & Email
 
  

 
 


Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.