The Lede: Magazine Regrets Printing Prince Harry's Whereabouts

In a post today by Mike Nizza, The Lede talks about the magazine which released the information on Prince Harry's whereabouts, which put his unit at risk and ultimately forced him to be sent back to England early. New Idea, the Australian magazine that leaked the story, now says that they are sorry for doing so and it was a lack of judgment. Of course, the story didn't really explode until The Drudge Report posted the story.

This is an important case for journalists. Though not all journalists throughout the world had to agree with or follow the black out on this news like in England, you have to wonder about the responsibility of a journalist. By printing Prince Harry's whereabouts, they not only put his and his comrades' lives in danger, but they walk a fine line of reporting for the sake of finding the truth, and merely just to get the story out.

Obviously, it's always important to try to get your story out first, but if there is a universal agreement to not report something in the interest of safety, I feel like it's important to follow that. Prince Harry has said that he liked being in Afghanistan and that for the first time he felt like a regular person. Though he covered up his face to not be identified, he still fit in and looked like any other soldier.

Now, as a result, he's going to have his royal status once again thrown in his face and taken out of the battle back to England where he will no doubt be coddled again. I can't speak for him, but it sounds like he really just wanted to be a regular guy and have no special treatment. You can't help what family you're born into, and for Prince Harry, it seems unfair that his dream job should be cut short because of a journalist who just couldn't sit on a story.

Journalists are out there to find the truth and give justice to the public, so they should also consider if what they're doing is just and right. Did the story alert anyone to sudden danger? Did they create a social and cultural uprising? Was anything truly won by reporting on his location?