Dangerous Reporting

 

 Kidnapped, told you would be killed, mind games, making peace about dying. Those are some of the realities faced by NBC Journalist Richard Engel. He and his crew managed to escape their captors and live to tell another story. This time it was his story. Here's the thing- many people have predicted this would be his fate for a long time. He goes to the most dangerous parts of the world, infiltrates the lives of everyday people and then tells us these stories we never hear. He is brave and some say he is stupid.

I saw a link to a post where Gawker was reporting something that the national press knew for several days but all agreed not to report to protect Engel. NBC had been asking for a blackout of information in hopes of being able to get him back alive. Why did Gawker report it? Well Gawker Editor John Cook felt NBC didn't reach his burden of proof to justify not reporting it. What the simple fact that he hadn't been heard from in days and being located in one of the most dangerous parts of the world wasn't enough? Did you think he and his crew decided to take a vacation? Some people supported this move but many criticized the author for being irresponsible. If you'd like to see his full article and explanation click HERE.

Turns out- not only was Engel being held captive- several people were killed right in front of him and his captors played a cruel game blindfolding them and making them take turns picking which one of them would be killed and then firing off shots pretending to carry out the plan. They only escaped when a gunfight broke out when their captors came across an unexpected check point while trying to move them to another location.

Engle and his crew were still in their dirty clothes from captivation when they appeared on the camera to talk about their ordeal. Watching them you could tell that this had been a life changing experience. I hope for his sake he may be rethinking going into a war zone. If you'd like to see the video of him talking about the experience click HERE.

As a Journalist I understand the need to tell stories and I have been in many meetings where we have debated "need to know vs. don't need to know". I do not see why the world needed to know he was missing- if it could possibly compromise finding Engel safe. To be honest- I was shocked that he was found safe and sound. I would not have reported it and I question the judgement of Gawker for doing so. What do you think? Do you think we NEEDED to know he was missing and was it worth sacrificing his further safety by doing it?