Monday 2 April 2007

Curiosity kidnapped the correspondent?

BBC war reporter Alan Johnston has now been missing for three weeks. Yesterday hundreds of journalists gathered in protest demanding that the 45-year-old be released. His assumed kidnap is the longest period any foreigner has ever been held in Gaza.

In yesterdays Guardian there was an ad published with 300 signatories asking that he be freed. The petitioners include Sir David Frost, BBC director general Mark Thompson, CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour, Jon Snow, Jeremy Paxman, John Humphrys and Sir Trevor McDonald. There is also an online petition launched by the BBC at Alan Johnston petition

Monday's Independent ran a news feature stating that Johnston had been begged to take a break after three years in Gaza but he was unable to stop.


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Palestinian journalists protest against Johnston's abduction

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have now signed the petition. Well done for bringing this to our attention. And well done for the blog.

Anonymous said...

On the above - Or maybe the less cynical of us believe that maybe these 'ego fuelled' war reporters on the spot, seeing what's really going on happen to care! People do dangerous jobs. Families worry. It's what happens.

Anonymous said...

he's still not back. still no news. what about saying a prayer for his safe return rather than having a go about his motives for being there in the first place. nobody deserves to be bloody 'removed' because they report the news

Anonymous said...

you are right 'anonymous' ...

Anonymous said...

how many of you guys have signed the petition? Come on, own up. Can be bothered? The person whose 'bulging pile that all foreign correspondents are self indulgent ego fuelled, work crazy maniacs' should be ashamed of levelling this cricism at a man who is currently, for all we know either dead or in some dreadful prison situation. And why is he in that situation? Doing his job as he saw fit and with passion.

Anonymous said...

I know of a lot of people now who have signed the petition and this blog has helped

Anonymous said...

ahha so somebody is on this blog same time as me. hello there!

Anonymous said...

did you see 'The mark of Cain' last night? Harrowing and disturbing. the reality of war in our lounge. Who is it said there's no good war only good peace?

Anonymous said...

drama's drama. news's news. fact over interpretation - or does it depend on who's reporting? truth is that truth is often stranger - and more gruesome - than fiction.

Anonymous said...

Now that is true. Any more news from anybody?

Anonymous said...

I saw ' The Mark of Cain' and it was really well done. It made me realise that war brutalises all the participants. I hope Katriona that you use your journalistic talents to highlight other evils than war if you want to be involved in trying to do some good in the world. Bad day for journalism all round when the powers that be gave the released soldiers money for their 'so called' stories. Shameful.