It's A Dangerous Job, Aren't You Glad Someone's Doing It?

By: Vaughn Ververs
Topics: In The News

(AP Photo)

You've surely heard by now that Fox News correspondent Steve Centanni and cameraman Olaf Wiig have been safely released after having been kidnapped in Gaza two weeks ago. The two were dropped off at a Palestinian hotel after a 15-day ordeal during which they were forced to convert to Islam. Details about their release are still coming out but Centanni has a message for journalists in the region:

"I want to thank everybody. I am happy to be here. I hope that this never scares a single journalist away from coming to Gaza to cover the story because the Palestinian people are very beautiful and kind hearted," Centanni told reporters. "The world needs to know more about them. Don't be discouraged."

On another dangerous front, you may not have heard that Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Paul Salopek remains in a Sudanese prison on charges of espionage. The reporter, working for National Geographic at the time of his arrest, is accused of illegally entering the Darfur region through neighboring Chad. According to the New York Times:

He is the third Westerner detained and charged after crossing the border from Chad this month. An American college student was detained and deported this month after making a similar journey. Tomo Kriznar, a filmmaker and human rights advocate acting as the envoy of Janez Drnovsek, the Slovenian president, was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted on charges similar to those Mr. Salopek faces.