General Chat

Trust the Americans they are always bragging that everything they have is big incuding their GOBS when will people learn to keep them shut.

Jean.

You've taken the words out of my mouth..

Can't mind their own business.

from googling...(American troops in Afghanistan)

"Six GIs killed in ambush, raising number of Americans killed in '07 to 101"
( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21718436/ )

just a gentle reminder that all Americans are not just sitting at home 'bragging'....

Rose x

Our British press did well to keep it quiet. It was unfortunate that the foreign media could not have kept it to themselves, too.

Once it had been publicised in an Australian magazine, it could not be long before the news spread around the world.

Thank you Rose.

I wonder how many people on this thread will scream bloody murder if, and when, the press decide "to co-operate with the Government" in future and keep quiet about news items.

Whatever happened to freedom of the press.

Jean.

Hello Jean, I just added the site addy to my reply as I thought someone might like to have a look....

Rose xxx

by revealing Harry was in a war zone, not only his life was put in immediate danger, but also the lives of his fellow soldiers

There is no way out now for the Royal Family, is this how wars begin? one country letting down another.
janet

I'll tell you what happened to freedom of the press, Jeannie:) It became one of the most abused of all the rights that exist and a justification for printing any lie they can make up an anonymous source for

David, in just the same way that you said one should not point the finger at all Americans, surely that should also apply in not making generalisations about the media.

Of course it should, Errol, which is why I wasn't.

Maybe your previous post just needed clarifying slightly then - cheers

Obviously it did for you, Errol.

Well,Im not a fan of the Media.I know they do have their moments ,but most of the time they seem to make things worse!
I think on this occasion They got it right:-))

For those with an interest you may find the following read informative - and I think it may help to redress the balance also. People are too quick to criticise the British media and freedom of the press and yet the following shows that we do have freedom of speech - a choice. In this instance the British media chose not to speak out and I believe that is highly commendable (the news blackout was purely voluuntary and yet not one journalist broke the unofficial agreement). Freedom of the press is not about printing anything and everything - it is about making correct choices.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2008/02/news_blackout.html

I saw the news item last night and agree that the british press choosing not to speak out on this occasion is commendable.
As for Errols earlier comments regarding extensive reporting taking place during WW11 is infact provably correct

Just to keep you posted, Five News at 10pm said that Harry would be returning early, obviously because of the disclosure of his whereabouts.

Is

He is probably already home or somewhere safe. He won't necessarily be safe whereever he is now, as the Taliban will want to take revenge against him.
A great shame the info was leaked.
Lizx

I cannot let this go without comment - Errol and Twinkly Ocean Blue - as one who was alive in WW2 and who recalls the News Reports at the cinemas and the news bulletin on the radio - information on radio would be -'last night a town/city in the north of England' was heavily bombed'. Unless you were caught in a blitz the previous night you did not know where it was just guess. Could be Midlands mentioned - but never ever was the name of the town mentioned and as for the HM Forces e.g. it would be 'the Royal Navy suffered heavy loss some days ago and 4 ships were lost'. That was it no name of ship or where. Ships crews did not wear the name of their ship on their hatband. Army and Air Force was the same - heavy casualties or our Forces made progress and have landed in Sicily some days ago - large numbers of prisoners have been taken.

Yes we see plenty of footage of coverage now but WW2 has been over since 1945 and reporting restrictions have been lifted.

Still don't believe me - ask someone who recalls those times or even better served during those dark days. Buy todays Daily Mail and read the article on the Portsmouth witch in 1942-44. There were of course, War Correspondents in WW2 (even Winston Churchill was one during Boer War) however their reporting did not go out live to the general public.

Chris, is it not very presumptious of you to assume that I too did not live during that dark era?
And contrary to your statement, some information was shown as it happened. I have dated footage to prove it. For example, newsreels were shown of D Day on June 6th 1944.
I also have newspaper cuttings that are contrary to what you are saying. For example, I have one talking about a named British submarine that was beached the previous day. These are hard facts. I really don't think you need to get a bee in your bonnet over this.
As far as live reporting is concerned, as I stated earlier, the technology would not allow a live broadcast from the trenches - we did not have satelites then!