29 March 2007

It has been more than two weeks since the abduction of BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston, and more than a week since Arab Media Watch demanded his immediate and unconditional release.

http://www.arabmediawatch.com/amw/Articles/PressReleases/tabid/77/newsid391/3752/AMW-demands-immediate-unconditional-release-of-BBC-Gaza-correspondent/Default.aspx

As Johnston is still missing with no news of his condition or whereabouts, AMW urges its members and the public to write messages of support through a dedicated section on the BBC website.

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=5911&&&&edition=1&ttl=20070327161319

You can also copy the message you write on the BBC website and email it to alan.johnston@bbc.co.uk, though there is no guarantee he will receive it as his inbox might be full by now, so the website should be your first option.

If you write a message of support, AMW would be grateful if you inform us by emailing info@arabmediawatch.com

"It is really important that Alan Johnston is released as soon as possible by whoever is holding him, not just for humanitarian reasons, but because Alan has reported fairly consistently from inside Gaza - something the Western press has not been doing very well, historically - and his presence in Gaza was of vital importance to the broad spectrum of BBC coverage of the region," says Arab Media Watch adviser and former BBC Middle East correspondent Tim Llewellyn.

"AMW and others have been pressing the BBC for a long time to have a more considered approach to the reporting of the Palestine-Israel issue, and we have been led to believe that a correspondent would be stationed in the West Bank as well as in Gaza to balance out the coverage, but of course the danger that Alan has been exposed to will no doubt make the BBC think twice about putting a correspondent permanently in the Palestinian areas, and this can only be a very very bad for thing for all the Palestinians and for good, proper coverage of the area."