Susane Katz Keating - Last week I posted an item regarding a kidnapped London Telegraph journalist, Colin Freeman, and Spanish photographer Jose Cendon. Almost as soon as I hit the "Publish" button, an earnest Telegraph rep contacted me and insisted that my post would endanger the captive journos. Additionally, the rep said, my post would have a negative impact on hostage negotiations. The rep implored me to remove the post in order to help save the two men's lives. I was skeptical, but could not justify placing the captives in further danger. I took down the post. Others took down their own posts and articles, and cancelled a Facebook support group.

I have spent much of the weekend researching and reviewing the situation in depth. I now conclude that the Telegraph most likely wants journalists and bloggers to remain quiet about Freeman / Cendon so as to avoid bad publicity. But publicity will not further endanger them, and could in fact help them.

I will have more to say on this in the next few days. Meanwhile, the deleted post is as follows.

How far should Big Media go when one of its foot soldiers - a reporter - gets into trouble while working on assignment? We recently learned that in Britain, for example, one particular B.M. outfit will go all the way to NATO in an effort to protect one of its own. Yes, I am talking about the London Telegraphand L'Affaire Meo. In that instance, the Telegraph inexplicably pretended ignorance of the U.S. Constitution and asked NATO to muzzle an angry Pitchfork Brigade of American milbloggers. It was a misguided effort from the newspaper, but squarely within the context of blind loyalty, savage protectionism, etcetera.

All the more puzzling, then, that the Telegraph has remained oddly in the shadows about kidnapped Telegraph reporter Colin Freeman.

You haven't heard the story? Join the club. I only learned about Freeman when another journalist invited me to join a Facebook support group to help spread the word: Colin Freeman and photographer Jose Cendon were kidnapped in Somalia last month while on assignment to cover the hijacking of a Yemeni cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden.

Freeman reported the hijacking story that was picked up November 25 by the Irish broadcast station RTE. Soon afterwards, Freeman and Cendon were themselves taken captive.

British journalists have rallied in personal support of Freeman. The Facebook group, Free Colin Freeman, issued this note:

"Colin has been kidnapped in Somalia along with photo journalist, Jose Cendon. Like many before them, they are striving to tell the world of events happening in our global community.We all need people like Colin and Jose to tell us what is really happening in the world around us. Lets join together to offer support to their family and friends, and appeal to the captors to return them to freedom."

Group members have posted poignant messages, including this heartbreaker from journalist Massoud Ansari:

"I'm totally devastated to learn that Colin has been kidnapped. In fact we were together in Islamabad and we had planned to go out for a dinner when he recieved a call from the office back in London and he was asked to go to Somalia to cover the story. In fact I just finished reading his book that he brought for me and was about to send him my thoughts when I found out about his kindnapping. I really hope and pray that Colin will be fine and will be with us soon."

And yet. Where are the Telegraph headlines? The daily pleas for his release? The leaked appeals to NATO? I'm still looking. If anyone can tell me the Telegraph is actively working for Freeman's release, I will gladly post the welcome news. Meanwhile, I cannot help but compare the situation to that of Nick Meo.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

Susan Katz Weblog
Susan Katz Keating is an investigative journalist and blogger specializing in national security issues. She is the author of Prisoners of Hope: Exploiting the POW/MIA Myth in America (Random House), as well as three nonfiction books for young readers. A former Washington Times reporter, she is a correspondent for People magazine. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Readers Digest, The New York Times, Air&Space/Smithsonian, Washingtonian, American Legion, VFW, and Soldier of Fortune. She has been cited in the New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, Salon, and other prestigious journals. She is a founding director of the National Museum of Americans in Wartime. She served briefly in the U.S. Women's Army Corps, where she earned her Expert marksmanship rating on the M-16 rifle. She belongs to the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, and serves on her local Draft Board.