As you have no doubt heard, CBC News reporter Mellissa Fung has spent the last month in the involuntary company of some Afghan bandits, but regained her freedom on Saturday.
However, the news that Canadian news organizations kept the matter quiet over that period has stirred some debate.
Here's the CTV.ca story, and here's CBC's version.
Here's some excerpts from a CP story at globeandmail.com:
The agreement to withhold the news prompted debate in many newsrooms. Was there a double standard because a journalist had been kidnapped? Would the same blackout be put into effect if an aide worker, politician or military person had been snatched?
The Canadian Press decided to hold off from reporting the story because doing so was consistent with its established policies on terrorism and hostage-takings.
The news agency publishes The Canadian Press Stylebook, a book of guidelines and policies used by its journalists and many other newsrooms across Canada.
“Our Stylebook policy states it very clearly: No news story is worth someone's life,” said Scott White, editor-in-chief of The Canadian Press. “Our policy is to make sure our reporting does not endanger human lives.”
Normally, this would involve hostage-taking incidents that are resolved within hours, said Mr. White, but the same principles applied to this story.
Other Canadian media organizations did the same.
“The CBC asked us not to report the details of Mellissa Fung's abduction,” said Robert Hurst, president of CTV News.* “Out of great concern for her safety, we respected that request.” ...
* If you're not a regular reader of this blog, be advised that I'm an employee of CTV News.
Asked whether the CBC would have refrained from reporting the kidnapping of someone who is not a journalist, Mr. Cruickshank replied: “If there is a question of harm coming to a victim, it's not our role to intensify the harm. We're on the side of the victim.”
“As I said, the practice at the CBC is that if there is a compelling reason to protect victims of crime, we do that.”