News Headlines - Tuesday October 07, 2003

TRIBUTES PAID TO SKY NEWS SUICIDE JOURNALIST
The wife of Sky News journalist James Forlong, who killed himself at the weekend after losing his job, said the family were "devastated" by their loss.

Elaine Forlong said in a statement that her 44-year-old husband was "shattered" at having to resign from Sky after he faked a news report aboard the submarine HMS Splendid during the Iraq War.

She found him hanged at their home in Hove, East Sussex, on Saturday.
"The family are devastated by his death, which we are still trying to come to terms with. James was a devoted, loving father and husband and we shall miss him desperately," said Mrs Forlong.

"James had been shattered by the recent blow to his career as a journalist. He felt deeply the loss of his job as a television correspondent," she added.

"He was an award-winning journalist, who spent the last 10 years travelling to some of the world's worst trouble spots - including Rwanda, Bosnia, Indonesia and Afghanistan - and cared passionately about his work."

He leaves a 15-year-old son Christopher and 12-year-old daughter Katie.

The editor of ITV programmes at ITN, David Mannion paid tribute to his former colleague, who had also worked at ITN and the BBC.

Mannion said Forlong was an "honest, decent man and a fine journalist", who made "one mistake".

"But we should all remember James for what he was: an honest, decent man and a fine journalist, who loved his work and took great pride in what he achieved over many years. He was right to be proud."

Read more:
media.guardian.co.uk
skynews.co.uk

PAKISTANI REPORTER IS MURDERED
A Pakistani journalist was murdered after he reported on human rights violations by police and powerful local figures in Sindh province, it has been reported.

Amir Bakhsh Brohi, a district reporter for Kawish, the largest Sindh-language daily newspaper in Pakistan's Sindh Province and the TV station KTN was shot five times after being approached by three unidentified men in the rural town of Shikarpur, the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) said.

The men fled the scene and Brohi was taken to the Shikapur District Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

The motive is unclear, but local journalists have told the Committee to Protect Journalists that they believe the murder was fuelled by Brohi's reporting on sensitive local issues that may have angered feudal strongmen.

Brohi is the second journalist to have been killed in Sindh Province in the last year.

Read more:
dawn.com
cpj.org
rsf.org

IRANIAN PRO-REFORM JOURNALIST FREED
A dissident Iranian journalist has been freed from jail after rumours circulated he had died in custody.

Mohsen Sazegara was arrested in June during nationwide pro-reform protests and immediately went on hunger strike. His deteriorating health led to widespread fears that he was on the verge of death, prompting fierce denials from the judiciary. He was freed on bail of $750,000.

Read more:
iranmania.com

FBI SUBPOENA WARNINGS TO REPORTERS PREMATURE
The FBI has been rapped over letters it sent to journalists warning them that their notes on confessed hacker Adrian Lamo would be subpoenaed.

The US Justice Department said the FBI had jumped the gun when it sent out letters to 13 reporters who had interviewed Lamo, as it was unlikely the Justice Department would grant the order.

"There are very few instances in which media subpoenas are granted," said Justice Department spokesman Mark Corallo. "In this case, as in any case, we expect the investigators to exhaust all other avenues before they seek approval for any subpoena or any formal requests for records."

Read more:
story.news.yahoo.com

Yesterday's Headlines

Subscribe to Our
Weekly Media Briefs

News Headlines
supplied by
Lovelacemedia