Comments on: Reporting on Afghanistan: media v the military http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/04/reporting-on-afghanistan-media-v-the-military/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:48:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Richard L http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/04/reporting-on-afghanistan-media-v-the-military/#comment-19251 Richard L Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-19251 Fair comment - as far as it goes. There is legitimate public interest in hearing and reading direct news reportage from areas of Afghanistan in which Australian forces are operating. At the same time, it's not actually a footy match. People shoot at other people. People blow up other people. It's not quite a war (if it was, the rules of engagement Australian troops are required to apply would be a little more realistic about when it is permissible to open fire, for instance), but it is a combat zone. Let's not forget Lt Windsor (Prince Harry) had to be high-tailed out of the Brit area of operations because some headline hungry journo blew the gaff on his presence there. Australian Defence PR is too restrictive. But "embedding" journalists is sometimes not a good idea either. They get in the way. They could get dead: and then there would be hell to pay. Fair comment - as far as it goes. There is legitimate public interest in hearing and reading direct news reportage from areas of Afghanistan in which Australian forces are operating. At the same time, it’s not actually a footy match. People shoot at other people. People blow up other people. It’s not quite a war (if it was, the rules of engagement Australian troops are required to apply would be a little more realistic about when it is permissible to open fire, for instance), but it is a combat zone. Let’s not forget Lt Windsor (Prince Harry) had to be high-tailed out of the Brit area of operations because some headline hungry journo blew the gaff on his presence there. Australian Defence PR is too restrictive. But “embedding” journalists is sometimes not a good idea either. They get in the way. They could get dead: and then there would be hell to pay.

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