Discussion forums and online polls mostly say the media was right to agree to the embargo. There is also anger against the American Drudge Report and the Australian New Idea.

The Daily Mail, Sun, and News of the World posted online polls on the topic, while the BBC ran a message board with the question: ‘Should the British media have agreed to a black-out of the news that Prince Harry was serving in Afghanistan?’

Ninety-one per cent of those polled on the Daily Mail felt the media was right to keep Harry’s secret. So did 90 per cent on the Sun.

On the News of the World, there was 90 per cent support.

On Guardian Online, while many criticised Harry for going to war, roughly 80 per cent were happy with the media blackout.

The BBC’s message board received more than 270 responses, of which an estimated 80 per cent were supportive of the media. Also debated was the question whether Harry is a hero or a liability to international relations.

“To talk about the media,” reads a response, “is missing the main question of what on earth a member of the royal family is doing out there in the first place?”

Mirror readers debated the justification for British troops in Afghanistan. One reader wrote, “No one should get killed over another’s beliefs.”

The legitimacy of war was debated on the Independent‘s not-so-vibrant discussion board as well.

The Times attracted 219 comments, mostly angry at the Drudge Report, praising Harry and also critical of the media attention to royals.

“[This is] a wake up call to newspaper editors that nobody cares…” said one. “I certainly didn’t notice that for 10 weeks I haven’t seen an article or a picture on Harry falling out of Boujis.”

Most people showed no tolerance for anti-embargo stands. Channel 4 presenter Jon Snow, who thanked God for Matt Drudge, came under fire. “Jon Snow in one absolutely idiotic, thoughtless, stupid statement has just lost C4News one viewer,” said a response.

A minority, however, supported Snow. “I think in fact he was making a valuable point missed elsewhere,” wrote one from this camp. “[I]n a democratic society accommodations made by the media (even if it is to protect a Prince) are the start of a very dangerous and slippery road to
censorship.”

More expressive were the comments about the Drudge Report. “This website should be closed down NOW!!” wrote a Sun reader. “One small minded, idiot of a journalist has now put the lives of UK forces in danger. If anyone dies out there now, he/she should be tried for murder.”

A marginal section felt the embargo breach was a PR stunt to arrest the decreasing public support for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Jameela Oberman is a writer at Interjunction.

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