Airmail, I think you hit the nail on the head. I'm a civvy, I'm not a local, and I wouldn't be anywhere near as aware of this without the media (although I was aware of it). The whole country would not be coming out in support of the forces in general without the media - Afghanistan and Iraq were becoming forgotten wars!
Yes, the coverage is perhaps tasteless and gratuitous, but I think you need to seperate the press from the public - they're not the same thing.
I doubt that many of the people turning up at Wooton Bassett are doing it because the media are there. Yes, they may be turning up because the media have brought it to their attention, but I think they are genuinely doing it for the right reasons. WB may have become the focal point for people wishing to show their support - I don't see that anything is wrong with that.
perhaps the town needs to put forward a request to the media to restrict their coverage to a shared feed and a few cameras? You're not telling them to bugger off, but you are telling them to respect the dignity of the moment. Low key - yes. Invisible, no.
As for the politicians... Al R - thats most likely exactly why the politicians wouldn't turn out! Anyway, why would anyone want this turned into a party political press spinning event?! All I can say is THANK GOD the politicians are keeping their damn noses out of it!