The dangers of journalism

I just caught the end of the today programme with John Humphries interviewing.Aidan White.They talk about the dangers of journalism following the release of Alan Johnston.

Record levels of journalists are being killed,155 last year and 105 so far this year.Around 40 have so far been kidnapped this year,most are local journalists.

Christina Lamb says the situation is a lot more dangerous today than it was 10 years ago.Journalists are now targets because of the county's foreign policy,journalists are seen as parts of that policy and fair game.

A Guardian photographer whose name I didn't get says the new media doesn't need journalists any more.They can go into areas of conflict with a small camera hidden and post the output on You Tube.

This blog has highlighted on many occasions the dangers of reporting.The Alan Johnston kidnapping has brought them into the spotlight

Alan Johnson released

Perhaps we should just rejoice and be grateful that finally after 114 days in captivity,Alan Johnston has been released by his captors in the Gaza strip.

Thank goodness that common sense has prevailed

Latest on Alan Johnston

It is now 30 days since the BBC's Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston went mising presumed kidnapped.

Guardian media are reporting that

"The BBC director general, Mark Thompson, will tomorrow cut short his Easter holiday to travel to the Middle East to appeal for the release of abducted correspondent Alan Johnston.
In a concerted day of action to highlight the journalist's plight tomorrow, the BBC will join with CNN, al-Jazeera and Sky News for the first time to produce a special programme about the kidnapping."

I think that journalists all around the world be reminded once again on the dangers that they face in bringing stories to the public's attention.
This seems a starange case in that there has been little or no contact with the kidnappers.

It is usual in these cases that a ransom demand would by now have been received yet as far as we are aware,nothng has been heard of his fate.

Update 12.4.07

Daniel Finkelstein gives a little bit more information on the background.

"Mr Johnston's kidnappers are thought to be the Durmush clan, who also played a key role in the kidnapping of Gilad Schalit, the missing Israeli soldier."

Until recently, the Durmush clan had been considered an ally of Hamas. However, roughly two and a half weeks ago Hamas militants killed two Fatah members from the family. In response, the members of the Durmush family killed three Hamas militants and abducted four more, and published leaflets accusing the Hamas-led government of being anti-Islamic."