Monday, April 16, 2007
When news broke that 15 British sailors were being held hostage in Iran all the drama was expected to end when they arrived back in the United Kingdom. Upon the captives safe return, surprisingly everyone else in the British Navy became victims. While the detainees are allowed to give paid interviews on the media magnet issue, all other sailors are not allowed to comment in return for payment.
The British Armed Forces may see this as a strategic move, but nearly everyone else sees it as unfair. If the media wants to pay for the perspective of non-captured sailors, those sailors should be able to issue their stories. This ban is not helping to protect the detainees from receiving due compensation for interviews, because they are the preferred target for the media. This ban just appears to be biased toward some sailors.
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If a reporter deems the other sailors’ stories or opinions noteworthy, then they should be able to give them.
CNN’s Mathew Chance reported that “The British navy defended its decision, saying permission was granted to make sure the service had sight of what they were going to say.” However, that defense is a bit contradictory when sailors can speak their minds to reporters for free, they just can’t be paid. They have sight of what they were going to say when no money exchanges hands, but otherwise they don’t? Something doesn’t add up.
The sailors that weren’t detained have given just as much to their armed service as those that were captured. If a reporter deems the other sailors’ stories or opinions noteworthy, then they should be able to give them. If reporters want to pay for those opinions, then the sailors should be able to accept that cash.
Understandably the Navy may not want sailors talking without covering what can and can’t be said. Imposing an interview ban for all sailors may even be reasonable. What is not reasonable is to make money the independent variable in this interview ban. Uniformity unites, and as of now, when it is especially needed, the British Navy appears to be disjointed.
— Tasha Riggins for the editorial board
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