(Photo by blog administrator)
3-year-old hostage. Notes of Student 17
Unedited by blog administrator
quote “In the Foreign News section of the Philippine Star, a report was published regarding how Nigerian rebels released Margaret Hill, a three-year-old British girl who was held in their (sic) captivity for about a week. The report mentioned how the rebels were able to get hold of the girl, how the Nigerian government and security groups were pressuring the rebels, and how Margaret was faring immediately after she was released, which is (sic) not good, considering the report said the girl was like in some kind of trance when they were able to get her. Also, beside the story was a big picture of the girl hostage, even bigger than the space occupied by the story itself.
quote “This was an explicit violation of the Journalist’s Code of Ethics. Reporters are not supposed to mention the names of children, much less publish their photographs on newspapers and fully disclose their identities. The story is not one which celebrates the talents or abilities of the young girl. It sounds more like praise for those who were able to take her from the hands of the rebels, at the expense of a young girl’s privacy.
Quote “Margaret Hill is only three years old and there is a lot waiting for her in the future. If it is to be made public that this British girl was once held captive by Nigerian rebels, her future might be in danger.” Closed-quote.
