It really gets on my wick that the NZ Herald decided to expose a couple of the NZSAS currently serving in Afghanistan (I'm not posting the link because it would make me just as bad). It is ironic one of the biggest threats to security is our own media and a sad day! I can tell you right now that the NZ Herald will not be getting any further favours from the SAS nor arguably the NZ Defence Force. Anything to do with the SAS just draws journalists like bees to a honey pot. Anything that they do (or don't do for that matter) is speculated about and it is a constant battle to have them play by a few basic rules.
The SAS need to be anonymous for a number of reasons. Firstly their own security and so they can operate in many different environments and situations. Secondly to protect operations on the ground. They are always part of a wider plan or operation and it is generally against bad guys (really bad guys) so the bad guys don't need to have the plan put across a two page newspaper spread or beamed into their cave by CNN. Then there is the issue of protecting their family at home. That is simplifying it somewhat but that is it in a nutshell. In the case of Willy Apiata, he now really is in an unenviable position. He is public property because he won the Victoria Cross but he is still a serving special forces soldier and he has a right to be able to get on with it.
To be fair most of our media do play by the rules but the decision of the NZ Herald Editor today showed a real lack of maturity in my mind. Sure they had a scoop with this picture but to say he did not realise it was Willy Apiata?.......come on! Sure Willy had no face mask on but wasn't it a quick call out in response to a serious situation in downtown Kabul.
Lets support our boys on the ground doing a tough dangerous job. Right or wrong (politically) they are there and so are a lot of other soldiers on other tough assignments. A bit of common sense can't be too much to ask from our media professionals surely? Sometimes the wider public interest can just wait a while.
Bollocks! We expect better, much better.
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