Peter Greste campaign strategist admits they played down Al Jazeera link as ‘it sounds nasty’
Ross: the challenge was turning global sympathy into global pressure
The strategist behind the campaign to free Australian journalist Peter Greste from an Egyptian prison has admitted the campaign sought to play down the fact he worked for TV network Al Jazeera as “it sounds like it’s linked with terrorism”.
Former ABC journalist Heidi Ross worked with Greste’s family on their strategy to keep the case in the media and to push for his eventual release after 400 days behind bars after being convicted on trumped up terror charges along with two colleagues in 2013.
But she admitted the main hurdles in Australia were confusion around who Greste was and suspicion around his employer Al Jazeera amongst the public.
\so an ex-journo from that bastion of truth, the public broadcaster, and her journo mates and colleagues, repeatedly misled the public and politicians regarding Peter Greste’s emptoyment by Al Jazeera
and to think, they all sneer at corporate and political types who tell fibs to protect their own
given that ABC journos usually comprise the vanguard of pathological altruists as far as radical Islam is concerned, I’m curious as to why they bowed to their perceptions of an intolerant Australia rather than using Peter Greste as a platform from which to proselytise
guess it’s a bit different when it’s one of your own, eh?
Aljazeera English is a terrific online news service. All their journalists appear to be first rate (some ex-BBC names) and extremely well informed about international affairs. And the ABC regularly use Aljazeera’s videos. The new head of ABC news has worked there.