Hypocritical British Journalists

We saw previously how Gaza is living up to its image as the worst place in the world. Now the terrorist-endorsed friends of Palestinians are banned from reporting their self-induced "oppression".

The foreign press corps has abandoned the Gaza Strip in the five weeks since the kidnapping of BBC reporter Alan Johnston, leading to a significant decrease in coverage. In a statement published on Thursday by the Foreign Press Association [FPA], it announced that "effectively, Gaza has become a 'no-go' zone for our members."

They just figured out what the entire world already knows.

[Bureau chief for ABC and chairman of the FPA Simon] McGregor-Wood acknowledged that "foreign press coverage from Gaza is almost gone; we just don't have the sort of personalized coverage we used to have."

Few foreign journalists are comfortable talking about the situation in Gaza. Those who have managed to make a quick trip there are extremely reluctant to explain how they went in,

Despite widely publicizing Johnston's plight, not all the details on his kidnapping and, more crucially, on the group holding him - the Durmish clan - its demands and methods have been reported by the mainstream news organizations.

I thought reporters were supposed to report the facts to the public?

In some cases, this has been to protect Johnston from any possible reprisal and, but also out of fear of future retribution when reporters return to Gaza.

Ah, things like this just inspire one's confidence in whatever news that comes out of Gaza.

McGregor-Wood denied there was any attempt to hide information.

I thought that the article just said that "not all the details on his kidnapping...on the group holding him...its demands and methods have been reported by the mainstream news organizations". I guess we should just forget all of that. McGregor-Wood explains.

"The main problem is that no one really knows for sure even what group is holding him;"

I thought they knew which clan was holding...him.

"...obviously we wouldn't like to offend groups who might be helping him."

Oh well, reporters mustn't offend anyone (except for those who are Israeli or George Bush supporters, that is), especially the kidnappers who are "helping" him.

The real kicker is that the FPA has members in British Association of Journalists, which decided to boycott Israeli goods this week, although journalists in Israel claim they are ignoring the boycott. Fortunately, the FPA calls the British boycott for the bald hyopcrisy it is.

In its meeting on Tuesday, the FPA also condemned the decision by Britain's National Union of Journalists to boycott Israeli goods. In its statement, the FPA said the boycott "runs counter to the core journalistic values which we are here to uphold and defend, namely objectivity and balance" and that it "may prejudice our membership's already difficult task here in striving to interact effectively with all sectors of Israeli and Palestinian society."

Why? Let's see what they have to say about their fellow British BBC reporter Alan Johnston.

The Foreign Press Association also criticized the boycott resolution for failing to mention the plight of Johnston.

There's British journalistic credibility for you.