Alan Johnston: "We will not walk away"

Quite how Alan Johnston could call himself "the luckiest kidnap victim in the world" after four months held in unimaginable terror in the Gaza Strip is quite unbelievable.

Speaking at a moving church service held last night on Fleet Street to mark the Day Of The Imprisoned Writer, Alan gave a powerful address in which he said he wanted to use his high profile to shine a light on forgotten imprisoned journalists all over the world. People such as Normando Hernández González, currently in prison in Cuba, and U Win Tin, detained in Burma for the past 18 years.

And Alan's words had a powerful impact on the people gathered in that church. He told how he had taken much comfort from the continued campaign for his release broadcast by radio, especially by the words of Brian Keenan, who said "We will not walk away". On Saturday evening Alan said he had the opportunity to meet Brian in Dublin - he had not walked away. Alan's dignity and honesty were spell-binding, and he is a true ambassador for foreign correspondents everywhere who struggle to do their job under difficult circumstances.

But I think he's right to point out that most journalists do not receive anything like the show of support which Alan benefitted from. Groups like Amnesty International, the Committee for the Protection of Journalists and PEN need our support. There are many people still held unlawfully for trying to expose corruption, deceit and decay in society. We must not walk away.

The future for foreign correspondents?

Earlier this week I was fortunate enough to hear some of the best women war correspondents talk about their experiences.

Maggie O'Kane, Caroline Horley and Ann McFerran all spoke quite movingly about reporting from Iraq, Bosnia and Darfur - and how, sometimes, being a woman worked to their advantage as they were granted access to places where men may be forbidden, or seen as more of a threat.

But what really caught my attention was Maggie O'Kane's view that it was really the end of the line for western crews descending on conflict zones. She argued that Iraq was showing that the future lay not with outside reporters, but rather with local correspondents who could get better access to, and move more freely in, difficult areas.

So what does that mean for the rest of us, beavering away with the hope of one day following in their footsteps? I think that it's definitely a good move to make the most of local knowledge - provided, of course, that they are given the same protection and rights as their western counterparts. But I think that it's also very important to get a balance - between male and female views, to hear western and local voices - and to continue pushing for honest, fair, insightful reporting regardless of who is behind the camera. Surely that's what journalism is all about?