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Tuesday, December 18, 2012
NBC Reporter Richard Engel Released
Well, the Today Show really could use a ratings boost and this morning newly freed NBC reporter Richard Engel and his news team were interviewed about their five day ordeal after being kidnapped in Syria. He said they were not harmed at all and that it was simply a lot of mind f**King. He called it psychological torture, but that is just a fancy name for a bunch of guys with guns messing with your head by asking which person wanted to be shot first and pulling the trigger on empty guns right at your head. The team were kidnapped Thursday, but NBC kept things quiet so they could work to get them released. I hear NBC offered Matt Lauer, but there were no takers for that.
How terrifying. My hat goes off to reporters and cameramen that travel to these unstable places so the likes of me can stay informed, while being fully aware that both sides can turn on them.
ReplyDeleteInstead of offering Matt Lauer, they should just be sending him over there to get kidnapped. Er. I mean provide coverage of events.
ReplyDelete@ amber, I thought the same! Lol! And now I feel a little guilty I want Matt to be kidnapped
DeleteI agree, Cleodacat. I'm glad they're okay, but damn! They couldn't take Mr. Douchetastic Lauer?
ReplyDeleteDo they still do that Where in the World is Matt Lauer? bit? I think they'd hear back a resounding, "Who cares?"
ReplyDeleteI vaguely remember reading about his disappearance over the weekend but Sandy Hook just hit so much closer to home that no one really payed it any attention. Glad he is ok.
ReplyDeleteVery funny Amber.
ReplyDeleteI heard about this yesterday, as it started leaking out.
The kidnapping was all over Turkish media, which was then picked up by the US media. Then Gawker posted about it, despite NBC asking for a total blackout. Interesting.
I am glad they are all safe. Being a war correspondent is just so risky.
Whoa thanks Enty I didn't even know!
ReplyDeleteThere is something weird about this - it was just in the Daily Mail yesterday that he was missing. Then here it is hours later and he is on the Today show...
ReplyDeleteI think there's more to this.
We saw this yesterday - I believe there's a general agreement among news groups (CNN, Fox, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, newspapers, etc) that when a reporter is kidnapped in cases like this, there's a news moratorium until the reporter is released. The same thing happened when Steve Centani (sp?) and his camera guy were kidnapped I think in Gaza a few years ago, although someone talked before he was released.
ReplyDeleteMr. B and I have always considered Richard Engel to be the hardest working reporter in the world. He always seems to cover whatever blowup there is in the Mideast. We are really relieved he's free.
I've always thought that Engel unnecessarily puts himself in harm's way, and for what? So we can see the bombing & shooting & dead bodies? I'd rather he take care of himself and his crew and NOT get so close to the action. We don't need to see it, being told is good enough.
ReplyDelete@hro I used to agree with you until I realized that without brave reporters, we wouldn't have known what what happening in Egypt. And when Syria went completely dark a week ago they had no way to communicate to the world if they were in trouble. Sometimes it is unnecessary though and I do laugh when they stand in the middle of a hurricane ;)
DeleteI've always liked Richard Engel and his reporting from places not many would go and it's important to cover these stories because these stories affect us all. Plus he's a hottie! So is Ivan Watson on CNN by the way.
ReplyDeleteThis is awful. I wldnt do it, and sometimes i dont understand why they put themselves in such danger. The stiries are not always worth it.
ReplyDeleteI think they should send Matt Lauer on a " very important" independent, guerilla style assignment that requires him to go alone, unarmed,in the dead of night in to the heart of enemy territory. See how many women want to fuck him for a job then.
ReplyDeletePretty flippant way to write about what this guy went through. Bet you wouldn't find it so blasé if it were you or your loved ones. Personally, I think journalists (real journalists) are heroic.
ReplyDeleteHe's a great correspondent. I'm glad he's okay.
ReplyDeleteOh yay. Insurers paid out Kidnap & Ransom money so the jerks who held them hostage can now buy more weapons.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add that I am glad they were released safely and hope they are okay after the ordeal.
ReplyDeleteThis, honestly, made my day. I had heard about it after the Gawker (assholes) leak yesterday and my heart broke. I think Engel is one of this country's best reporters and that his work is important. I'm glad this story had a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteI think Richard Engel is probably the best foreign reporter working today. There was a news blackout but a couple of site ignored the blackout, namely Gawker, BI for a bit (deleted story) and DM.
ReplyDeleteThey needed to get Engel and his team out of Syria and into Turkey before they could life the blackout and they were still in Syria until Tuesday morning their time. Very glad he's safe.
Well, psychological torture may be "just a fancy name for a bunch of guys messing with your head by asking which person wants to be shot first and pulling the trigger on empty guns right at your head," but think about that! They were blindfolded and bound for the duration of their captivity, and at some points, after asking who wanted to be shot first the kidnappers would fire shots into the air; sitting there blindfolded, thinking one of your colleagues was just killed right next to you, is far more than "messing with your head."
ReplyDeleteRobert I agree. Did anyone see Argo? How they kept doing mock executions on the hostages? Horrible.
ReplyDeleteI think it's disgusting, the way reporters are treated in some countries. You shouldn't have to risk your life to get a frickin story.
ReplyDeleteHopefully in the future it will be easier to somehow punish countries that threaten, jail, torture, kidnap and kill reporters. It's become an extremely dangerous job, not to mention cutthroat.
Richard Engel is always in the most scariest place on earth. I'm glad he's back.
ReplyDeleteMy God. This hit me like a ton of bricks. Engel is one of my favorite journalists -- he's a true journalist, going in and getting stories in places that I wouldn't go even if you gave me everything in the world I've ever wanted. So very thankful he and the other guys are out and safe.
ReplyDeleteIt actually makes me rethink my annoyance at Anderson Cooper. He was a serious journalist, and in the last year has become a whiny little bitch, getting into celebrity feuds and bringing on Snooki as a today's guest co-host. But now I'm thankful for the fact he's not out there on the frontlines.