Posted on 08/14/2006 10:27:48 AM PDT by slowhand520
GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian gunmen kidnapped two foreign journalists working for the Fox News television channel in Gaza on Monday, a witness said.
The witness, a Palestinian who worked with the two journalists, said one of them, a producer, was an American, and the other, whose nationality he did not know, was a cameraman.
The Fox News bureau in Jerusalem said it was checking the report.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the abduction.
The witness said two vehicles blocked the journalist's transmission truck in the center of Gaza City and a masked man put a gun to the bodyguard's head, forcing him to the ground.
The kidnappers then sped away with the two journalists.
Similar incidents in the past in Gaza have ended with the release, usually within hours, of kidnapped foreign journalists or aid workers.
Many of the abductions were carried out by Palestinians pressing a grievance against the Palestinian government or its security forces
I do apologize if my post seemed "rather flip"...
my prayers are certainly with Steve, his cameraman, and all of our journalists/crews who are still in Lebanon, as I believe none of them are safe... JMO
FNCers Kidnapped In Gaza: Tight-Lipped> Update: 11:21pm: Here is Jennifer Griffin's 10pm update: "Greta, as you know, we have been reporting today that two of our colleagues were kidnapped in Gaza earlier today. They were taken against their will from the vehicle they were driving in. Fox News at this time is doing everything within its power to get them safely returned back home and we will report more on that as we have details."
Fox News Channel is carefully and wisely limiting coverage of its two kidnapped employees. Since 2pm, when TVNewser started monitoring FNC coverage, the net has aired four brief updates about the kidnapping by Jennifer Griffin. Apart from those, FNC hasn't mentioned the situation, preferring to handle it behind the scenes. When Nihad Awad of the Council on American Islamic Relations prefaced his appearance on The O'Reilly Factor with an expression of sympathy, Bill O'Reilly quickly responded:
AWAD: Bill, thanks for having me and allow me first to share with you and your viewers that our organization CAIR has issued a statement demanding the release of the Fox crew who were abducted or kidnapped today in Gaza and we pray and hope for their safe return to do their job back to their families.
O'REILLY: I just meant to tell everybody we are not going to have much more on that because we are, you know, in the process of trying to get that solved.
As Jack Shafer noted in January, "it's an article of faith for some that no news is the best news when it comes to kidnappings."
Thank you..All is well with us..
I just pray all would be well for them.
Have you heard anymore on this story? It seems like Fox is keeping this so quiet........why?
My WAG is Fox is probably not giving the kidnappers what they want, publicity.
uhhh...get a clue?!!
agreed in prayer--and that the eyes of many will now be opened.
I know... I've been thinking the same thing all day... I'm very worried about him. I just cannot believe a good guy like Steve Centanni has been abducted by evil terrorists over there...
Prayers for Steve's and his camera man's safe return...
It's late (or early), sorry if this has been posted. It is one of the most recent updates I could find.
http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=110096
NZ Diplomats to Gaza for Talks on Journalist Hostages
10:41 Aug 15, '06 / 21 Av 5766
(IsraelNN.com) New Zealand diplomats are heading to Gaza for talks aimed at securing the release of two kidnapped journalists from the Fox News network. They will be working through the offices of British diplomats inasmuch as New Zealand has no direct contacts in the area.
NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark said her government is “very concerned” about the safety of 36 year old camerman Olaf Wiig, a NZ national. He and 60 year old American reporter Steve Centanni were parked near the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority security services when they were abducted.
The two journalists were accompanied by a bodyguard when two trucks carrying a group of armed terrorists boxed in their car and pulled them out of the vehicle.
They are negotiating their release.
This whole thing baffles me. I understand the need for discretion...however this bothers me.:
"As Jack Shafer noted in January, "it's an article of faith for some that no news is the best news when it comes to kidnappings."
When there have been other kidnappings, be it soldiers, reporters, civil servants, etc., we have had updates, threads galore, prayer threads and constant "news alerts". This story is being treated differently by Fox and I don't see why. I am no less involved, yet no less interested in any of the news events taking place.
And maybe, the kidnappers warned FNN not to air this story, that if they did, the two men would meet their maker.
Behind the scenes negotiations are taking place. We'll know everything in due time. Meanwhile, for the sake of these two men...we really do need to drop this subject.
sw
I think according to a bio I read that Steve is 44?
Prayers for all.
I was surprised to read 60, LOL! I kept waking up, so I came downstairs to check. My mind was awake enough to think "60? Damn, I hope I look that good when I am 60" but not enough to confirm or deny it.
So if a stringer for the Christian Science Monitor gets grabbed they run around sticking mikes in peoples faces, but if it's a Grand TV Journalist it's all on the hush-hush. I'm really surprised they haven't splashed it all over the place, think of the ratings.
(Dentiments similar to this may have been expressed up thread, so I apologise in advance if I'm repeating)
I second that!!
We always hear that journalists should not become part of the story...In this case FOX is part of the story and has decided the best way to handle it.
Of course I am hungry for more news. We all are. I am going to put what I want way behind what is the right thing to do to ensure their safe return.
I am not going to wah-wah-wah because of the decisions FOX has made regarding the coverage of this.
The "need to know" (in this case need = want) means nothing compared to their right to live.
I suggest that anyone who cannot give it up is thinking only of their own selfish desires.
I think the Christian Science Monitor was very low-keyed during Jill Carroll's captivity.
I was referring more to Fox's coverage, and the other tv networks. Or maybe that was because she was young and female.
She did not work for FOX.
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