PRINCE HARRY AND THE CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE

29-02-2008

Prince Harry is being withdrawn from Afghanistan after it was revealed he’d been serving for two and a half months with British forces in the south of the country. While “foreign websites” are blamed for the leak, questions should also be asked of British news organisations who have been willing parties to a state propaganda exercise.

It emerged yesterday that the third in line to the throne had been granted his wish to serve with his colleagues in Hemand province after previously being refused permission to go to Iraq.

There’s no questioning his bravery or his determination to be seen as “one of the lads” – it’s to his enormous credit that having chosen a soldier’s life he’s been determined to participate in it fully.

That the Army didn’t flag up his presence in Afghanistan to the public is also understandable – that could have put other troops at risk.

What’s curious is that footage is already available of Harry’s service abroad from the likes of ITN and CNN

This makes it clear that positive stories about his involvement in the conflict were already being prepared – so were the outlets who agreed to keep his presence secret bought off by promises of access to the Prince?

It certainly looks like it – and if so, what price a free press?

Surely, the best way to have kept Harry’s presence in Afghanistan secret was to keep it from the media altogether.

Instead, the military were happy to ensnare compliant journalists in a shroud of secrecy – with the promise of “good boy” rewards (ie some nice video footage) if they kept quiet about it.

This is a chilling revelation.

It means that for the last two and a half months the established British media has connived with the establishment to keep from the public a matter of legitimate public interest.

Presumably the BBC was part of the deal? And high-minded papers like The Guardian, The Independent, The Times and Telegraph too? I’m sure we’ll all be told in the fullness of time. Well, fairly certain. Unless, of course, there’s another conspiracy of silence.

Suspicious readers will be asking what else they are keeping from us.

Journalists should remember that their job is to tell the truth - not hide it.