Public Eye
August 21, 2006 9:30 AM

Are We Tired Of Journalists-Under-Fire Stories?

By
Vaughn Ververs
Topics
Media Issues
(AP)
Maybe it's just us, but it seems the kidnapping of two Fox News journalists in the Gaza Strip last week has gotten far less attention from the press than other high-profile kidnappings – like that of Christian Science Monitor reporter Jill Carroll. Now, there may be a lot of reasons for that: It may be the difference between women and men captives; it could be because the Fox News journalists were captured in Gaza, not Iraq; or I could be all wet about the whole thing. Let me know what you think, meanwhile a quick update:
A New Zealand envoy and the brother of an American reporter made separate televised pleas Sunday urging militants to release two Fox News journalists kidnapped last week in the Gaza Strip.

American correspondent Steve Centanni, 60, and cameraman Olaf Wiig, 36, of New Zealand were seized Aug. 14 from their TV van near the Palestinian security services headquarters in Gaza City.

The New Zealand envoy, Peter Ridder, spoke outside the office of Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza City shortly after the two men met. Ridder said Haniyeh gave him his personal commitment that returning the men safely was a top Palestinian government priority.


Add a Comment
by dwjcbsnews August 22, 2006 12:57 AM EDT
Not to sound like a conservative conspiracy theorist, but the reason seems pretty obvious to me. FoxNews, although not in the least a truly conservative news outlet, is considered as such. It's also the kid on the Big News Block, that's kicking every other news kid's butt - without cheating. No body likes a kid like that. The fact is when Bob Woodruff, an member of the formerly elite (liberal) news channel got partially blown up - we heard about it everyday. When Jill Carrol was kidnapped AND EVEN SINCE BEING RELEASED - we heard about it everyday. Daniel Pearl...the list goes on. All members of the old school, formerly elite, liberal news media. AND YES - CSM is part of that crowd, too. Just because it has Christian in it's name doesn't mean it's convservative. Maybe 15 years I would have bought that, but not today. Bottom line, if you're part of the old club, or one of the Internet Progressives (god forbid the frenzy if anything happened to KOS), you get play on the nightly news. If you work for FoxNews...nobody in the media cares what bad stuff happens to you.
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by geoffrey1986 August 21, 2006 3:06 PM EDT
I think the reason for the lower amount of coverage is that Fox News was initially being extremely cautious with what info it was releasing, for obvious reasons. It was days before they put out more information and, by the time they did, those details had already pretty much been reported and there was nothing new to report. The lack of any new information also keeps this story from making it to the top of the headlines.
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by mattcat25 August 21, 2006 1:25 PM EDT
Saddam Hussein, and the People of Iraq did not have Weapons of Mass Destruction, an Air Force, nor a viable Army. Although many Muslims do not George Bush unilaterally decided (because he's the decideror) to invade and occupy this sovereign nation. The entire world has lined up against the US for this action. The plan The Bush Administration is extorting $billions of US Federal Treasury Funds from the People of the United States, the occupation of Iraq has increased the price of Oil, endangerIf Bush is intent on achieving his goals for the Middle East and Iraq, he should stop talking and begin to correctly act in a manner in which this could occur instead of just fun
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