Freedom of the press - PLEASE HELP

Shackley · 23 Apr 2007 at 20:15

Freedom of the press - PLEASE HELP - you may make a difference.

From Friday, you might notice that on the front page of the BBC News website we will be having a regular reminder of the number of days that our Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston has been missing. It's a message which you are more and more likely to come across as you surf around the internet, thanks to the help of an increasing number of people who want to show their support for Alan.

Earlier this week my colleague Jon Williams invited anyone who runs a blog, website or web page to use a button in support of Alan. More than 150 sites have so far pledged their support - and that's just those we know about. If you want to do the same, you can find out how here.

At the same time, more than 40,000 people have signed our petition online to call on everyone with influence to increase their efforts to ensure that Alan is freed quickly and unharmed. To add your name too, go to this page. BBC Link

If you have any sort of editorial control over a web-site, or can influence someone who has, do please add a "button" to show your support for Alan.

Many thanks.

SexyGreyFox · 23 Apr 2007 at 20:21

I thought he was dead.
Any proof he's alive?

Mulder · 23 Apr 2007 at 20:33

dmpoole said:
I thought he was dead.
Any proof he's alive?

Any proof that he's dead?

scorza · 23 Apr 2007 at 20:39

dmpoole said:
I thought he was dead.
Any proof he's alive?

Abbas said he was alive, or he believed he was alive.

Chronos-X · 23 Apr 2007 at 20:45

I would've thought the BBC know better than most that these things turn out better when you SHUT UP AND STOP TALKING ABOUT THEM :mad:

I mean ffs... :rolleyes:

I really feel sorry for this guy but Ken Bigley style outpourings of grief won't help, just shut up about it and let the necessary bodies do their job! :mad:

silversurfer · 23 Apr 2007 at 20:55

The press shouldnt have to shut up. The whole point is it helps no one if they cant freely report events in the area without fear of reprisal by either side or bias.

Its possible to easily under estimate the amount of good done by those who just report events as they happen. If a government or group is allowed to carry out acts without knowledge by the greater world then they are less likely to be just

Chronos-X · 23 Apr 2007 at 21:02

silversurfer said:
The press shouldnt have to shut up. The whole point is it helps no one if they cant freely report events in the area without fear of reprisal by either side or bias.

Its possible to easily under estimate the amount of good done by those who just report events as they happen. If a government or group is allowed to carry out acts without knowledge by the greater world then they are less likely to be just

I don't know, I think this is just one of those times where journalistic integrety should go out the window and they should just keep shut about it. Of course it would mean going media-wide, but the BBC not harping on would help a great deal.

Even Thatcher said that we shouldn't give terrorists the oxygen of publicy, and in these hostage situations I'm inclined to agree with her.

Sleepy · 23 Apr 2007 at 21:03

Mulder said:
Any proof that he's dead?

Exactly, afterall those friendly members of the Religion of Peace have a tendancy to video when they behead some one.

PS Shackley you do realise that he's being held by Palestinians?

Shackley · 23 Apr 2007 at 21:19

Sleepy said:
PS Shackley you do realise that he's being held by Palestinians?

Yes, I do. So what?

Chronos-X said:
I would've thought the BBC know better than most that these things turn out better when you SHUT UP AND STOP TALKING ABOUT THEM

Have you ever considered that the BBC may actually know more about this than you do?

If you have any sort of editorial control over a web-site, or can influence someone who has, then I would be very grateful if you were to add a "button" to show your support for Alan.

If you don't, or can't, or don't care, then so be it.

JohnnyG · 23 Apr 2007 at 21:49

Shackley said:
Have you ever considered that the BBC may actually know more about this than you do?

Have you ever considered that the BBC may actually know more about this than you do?
Anyway, I've added a button to my website, does that make me well cool now?

Jimmi · 23 Apr 2007 at 21:50

Sorry but i have no sympathy for people who put themselves in this situations to start with, they know the risks and then we have all this "news" and time on it when it goes pete tong.

Its the same when people go on about soldiers who have lost their lives, they new the conditions when they signed up for army training. :rolleyes:

Zom · 23 Apr 2007 at 22:20

Jimmi said:
Its the same when people go on about soldiers who have lost their lives, they new the conditions when they signed up for army training.

Tell me about it - there's nothing that annoys me more than people feeling sorry for soldiers who gave their lives for this country.
[/SARCASM]

Kol · 23 Apr 2007 at 23:41

Zom said:
Tell me about it - there's nothing that annoys me more than people feeling sorry for soldiers who gave their lives for this country.
[/SARCASM]

ROFL

Azagoth · 23 Apr 2007 at 23:53

BBC said:
He is feared kidnapped in the lawless territory, where he is thought to have been the only international correspondent still working.

Ever thought there may be reason why he was the only one working there?

"andy" · 24 Apr 2007 at 01:43

hmm true

i wonder why all the other international reporters decided to stay away despite the big fat pay cheque......

im not truly horrible so do have sympathy for the guys familyand friends

but what an idiot for choosing to take such a risk

theres a reason theyre crying out for journos and "security" workers over there

dbmzk1 · 24 Apr 2007 at 01:57

I'm not really sure how a banner on a few random websites is going to get him released. I'm pretty sure, though, that its giving the terrorists the attention they wanted. If the BBC and everyone else stopped going on about things like this so much, like the press do with everything, I'm sure he would have been released by now, or not taken in the first place.

Also if people don't go out there to start with, then they can't get abducted. I don't get why they almost demand sympathy. Sorry, I'm with Jimmi and "andy" here. You go out there and you have to expect the worst. I do feel for his friends and family though, its not their fault and I can't imagine what they must be going through.

The_KiD · 24 Apr 2007 at 09:12

Added: www.techmonkeys.co.uk

Zip · 24 Apr 2007 at 09:25

So how is adding this button supossed to help him? :confused:

Shackley · 24 Apr 2007 at 09:25

dbmzk1 said:
I'm not really sure how a banner on a few random websites is going to get him released. I'm pretty sure, though, that its giving the terrorists the attention they wanted.

The suggestion is that Alan Johnston was abducted by criminals, not by terrorists as you choose to call them.

dbmzk1 said:
If the BBC and everyone else stopped going on about things like this so much, like the press do with everything, I'm sure he would have been released by now, or not taken in the first place.

On what do you base this certainty?

dbmzk1 said:
Also if people don't go out there to start with, then they can't get abducted. I don't get why they almost demand sympathy. Sorry, I'm with Jimmi and "andy" here. You go out there and you have to expect the worst.

Indeed, it would be much better if journalists were to concentrate on keeping us up-to-date with Pete Doherty's drug habits or Britney Spears' hair styles.

I expect that Joseph Goebbels was less than enthusiastic about a free press sticking their noses in where they weren't wanted - it must have been tough for journalists in Nazi Germany; as it doubtless is in Zimbabwe, Burma, China and many other places today. Why DO these people bother? They deserve everything they get.

It is a fact that some journalists have the courage to report on things and from places where it is dangerous. Veronica Guerin, Martin O'Hagan, Anna Politkovskaya, Terry Lloyd, Daniel Pearl and Mohamed Amin spring to mind. I'm sure that with a little effort, you can find plenty more; here is a good starting point.

Just occasionally, journalism can be an honourable profession and journalists can be honourable and brave men and women. I believe that they deserve our gratitude, respect and support, not our scorn.

To those of you who have added the button . . . my thanks; you are good guys, you certainly have my respect for your humanity.

robmiller · 24 Apr 2007 at 09:27

Azagoth said:
Ever thought there may be reason why he was the only one working there?
[/size]

Is the fact that he's ridiculously brave supposed to detract from him as a person or something :confused: