Anyone who listens to/ watches the news can’t fail to have noticed the level of exposure that the BBC have given the kidnapping of Alan Johnston. They’ve used, it seems to me, any and every excuse to keep his capture in the media spotlight. They’ve held a vigil at every opportunity: ‘BBC workers have held a vigil to mark four weeks/ one month/ six weeks/ eight weeks/ two months/ 100 days etc since the capture of Alan Johnston’ and used that vigil as an excuse to report it.
Clearly given that he is one of their own, one can understand them giving him that exposure to keep up pressure for his release; they have the power to do that so why not use it for something good?
But what about all the other hostages that don’t have the benefit of the BBC behind them? They don’t get anything like the same exposure, and maybe are still help captive because of it. Naturally the BBC can’t list all the hostage currently being held on the radio each day, but maybe they could list them on their website or something?
What do people think about how the BBC have selectively used their considerable influence in this case?
I did cringe when I heard a report from the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Hong Kong, and the reporter said “and there, poignantly, was a picture of Alan Johnston”.
That said, Johnston was in fact the only western journalist left in Gaza, which makes him a bit special.
I think: meh. It’s only natural. If the same happened to a newspaper reporter, then that paper would be all over it too. Even though the remit of the Beeb is somewhat different, you can’t help human frailities.
Why have bad feeling towards them? Alan Johnston seems like a nice chap, he’s one of their own, and the media pressure may well have helped in securing his release, which has finally arrived. But this isn’t a GQ answer…
Having worked for Aunty, that’s my take on it - the Beeb has its faults but it does tend to look after its own (particularly when they’re putting their nuts in harm’s way as Alan Johnston was)
If you work at Marks & Sparks you get nice sandwiches and comfy underwear cheap
If you work at the BBC you get a big fuss made (and lots of quieter behind-the-scenes stuff) if you get held hostage in an act of monumentally self-defeating stupidity
The Beeb (and Alan himself) had apparently thought no group would be stupid enough to capture/harm the only western journalist in Gaza
(They also thought no Irish terror group would bomb the BBC, cos’ that would be self defeating as well - just shows you should never underestimate human stupidity and that Eeevil/Genius connection is strictly for the movies)
…then maybe can I suggest that until you find out the answer to that question, your OP is based entirely on a false premise. Are you talking about international hostage taking, or domestic? Domestic kidnappings happen at an extremely disturbing rate in Iraq, but is this what you are talking about?
You put forward the position in your OP
…but have provided no data-points to back up this position. Can I suggest the first thing you do is find out what what has happened in other hostage cases so you have a basis for comparison?
When New Zealander Olaf Wiig was held hostage last year along with his Fox News companion, it was sustained diplomatic pressure from both the New Zealand and the British governments, along with the actions of Wiig’s wife Anita McNaught, and the co-operation of all the major networks to keep the story quiet that got him released.
So are you saying that there are other hostages in Gaza, but the media aren’t covering it? Do you have any proof? This is why I asked: which other hostages were you talking about? Because until you provide some names or some examples, it is impossible to compare the coverage the BBC has given in this case to any others that either may or may not exist…
You’re absolutely right. BBC One was basically BBC Alan Johnston 24, with rolling coverage of him. I especially liked the computer generated animation of him chained to a radiator that popped up every 15 minutes to remind us “I’m still a hostage”. BBC Two’s 2376 hour dramatisation of Alan Johnston’s life: “From Conception to Capture” was amazing. The production values put Doctor Who to shame, I especially liked the way they Tom Cruise in to do the voice over in that slightly crazy voice of his.
I’m a little sad that Johnston was released as I was looking forward to the BBC’s “Alan Johnston in Need” telethon in September hosted by Terry Wogan and Fearne Cotton.