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It’s been a week now since kidnappers seized Fox News correspondent Steve Centanni and cameraman Olaf Wiig off the streets of Gaza City. And, in recent days, many bloggers have started to wonder why there hasn’t been more media attention surrounding the kidnappings.
“It’s been over a week since two of FoxNews’ people were kidnapped,” writes Isn’t It Rich. “Has anyone heard a peep about these guys?….So what’s up? Why isn’t FoxNews raising all kinds of hell? Or CNN for that matter. What gives here?”
Elsewhere, Mediacrity noted the same pattern.
“[I]t’s interesting to note the flabby response from both the media and so-called journalism ‘protection’ organizations — which are usually quick to condemn Israel and the U.S. authorities in Iraq,” writes Mediacrity.
“The usually garrulous Committee to Protect Journalists issued a tepid statement expressing ‘concern,’ and the media generally has kept its distance,” adds Mediacrity. “The New York Times, typically, buried a tiny reference to the kidnapping in a news roundup two days later.”
So what’s with the silent treatment? Yesterday, Michelle Malkin tossed out a couple of hypotheses.
“Lots of readers e-mailed last week wondering why Centanni and Wiig’s kidnapping is barely on the MSM radar screen,” writes Malkin. “It’s a damned good question, especially at a time when journalist Jill Carroll seems to be all over the airwaves and in every major newspaper promoting her book about her kidnapping by Iraqi terrorists last year.”
“I honestly don’t know the answer,” she adds. “The most common suspicion among my readers is that bias against Fox News Channel is coming into play. Another possible factor may be Fox’s own internal strategy of keeping the story low-key while it negotiates for Centanni and Wiig’s release. Or is it because Centanni is not a high-profile player in the Washington media scene–not a spotlight-hogging insider or industry schmoozer?”
“The apparent apathy towards anyone identified as being right-wing is actually rather surprising,” notes Right Linx. “Palestinians are protesting this more than Americans are.”
At the same time, one blogger argued that covering the kidnappings is a no-win situation for journalists.
“I love how these situations turn into damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” writes Two Babes and a Brain. “If you don’t cover it, you are biased against Fox and the life of their reporters aren’t worth as much as reporter Jill Carol. If you do cover it and the whole thing goes bad, how long until you think the accusations that the liberal media killed Fox reporters with their careless coverage of a delicate situation and the life of a Fox reporter isn’t worth as much as a story…blah blah blah…”
In the meantime, TVNewser noted that over the weekend Fox’s own coverage of the kidnapping had ratcheted up to a higher level.
“Fox News Channel’s efforts to secure the release of its two kidnapped employees are increasingly taking to the airwaves,” reports Mediabistro’s TVNewser. “The kidnapping was mentioned eight times on Saturday.”
Finally, myriad bloggers took the time to thank the Fox reporters for doing their job and to wish for their safe return.
“This message is for Steve Centanni and his camera man,” writes Krueger. “Spreading freedom of the press has its costs. You are a hero for putting your life on the line and reporting in the face of danger. You are a hero for going into Gaza and doing your job. You bring us the truth; Thank you.”
Felix Gillette writes about the media for The New York Observer.