Jeremy Bowen: Even daring reporters may deem Isis threat too risky
BBC Middle East editor says Islamic State has made war journalists think hard about whether working in Syria is worth it
Jeremy Bowen, one of the BBC’s most experienced foreign correspondents, has said the threat from Islamic State (Isis) has made “even the most enterprising and daring reporters” think hard about whether working in Syria is worth the risk.
Bowen, the BBC’s Middle East editor, described the conflict in Syria as “extraordinarily difficult and at times dangerous” for journalists.
“The threat from Islamic State is so unequivocal that even the most enterprising and daring reporters are hesitating to take the risk of being anywhere near them,” Bowen wrote in the new issue of Radio Times.
“Seeing colleagues beheaded by a group that seems to delight in what it’s doing makes it hard to argue that you’re too experienced, or too careful, to get into trouble.”
US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff were murdered after being kidnapped by Isis in Syria. British aid worker David Haines and volunteer Alan Henning were also killed by Isis after they were captured having just entered Syria… MORE
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