On Saturday, a National Geographic magazine correspondent was charged with espionage and other crimes in a Sudanese court. On Sunday, militants in the Gaza Strip freed two Fox News journalists held hostage for nearly two weeks.
Although the circumstances these journalists experienced are appalling, situations like these shouldn't deter coverage of the Palestinian state or affect how many journalists are sent to Sudan. In fact, situations like these should encourage more coverage.
Steve Centanni, one of the journalists held in the Gaza Strip, validated this idea shortly after he was released.
"I hope this never scares a single journalist away from coming to Gaza to cover the story because the Palestinian people are very beautiful and kind hearted. The world needs to know about them. Don't be discouraged," Centanni said Sunday.
With a common pro-Israeli slant in American news coverage, it is imperative for American journalists to report on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from within the Palestinian territories and observe how the conflict affects Palestinians.
Journalists, if doing their job properly, should explore and try to explain the perspectives of all people and places in any situation and not be stopped from doing so by militant forces like those operating in Gaza.
And although events in the Palestinian territories, Sudan or anywhere outside of U.S. borders may seem far away, citizens living in a powerful country like the United States should always be aware and learn about these events and situations — especially when U.S. foreign policy is so involved in the future of Israel.
Journalists, as well as any traveling citizen, have to keep in mind that laws and customs are not the same throughout the world. Paul Salopek, the foreign correspondent charged with writing "false news" and passing information illegally in Sudan, is a good example of how press freedom doesn't always extend past our borders.
It's probably safe to assume Salopek wasn't spying but was reporting information the Sudanese government didn't want made public — though it's a mystery what he could have been reporting that could be worse than the country's already-public mass genocide. Not every country holds certain rights inalienable.
Journalists must be aware of risks before stepping on foreign land, but the U.S. government also needs to protect the rights of correspondents.
Traveling journalists serve as a link between the outside world and consumers of news. It is necessary for reporters to share stories they cover and continue to educate the public.
