Alan Johnston facts for kids

Alan Graham Johnston, born on May 17, 1962, is a British journalist. He works for the BBC, a well-known news organization. He has reported from many different places around the world. These include Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, the Gaza Strip, and Italy. Today, he works from London.

In 2007, while working in the Gaza Strip, Alan was kidnapped. A group called the Army of Islam held him for almost four months. He was finally set free on July 4, 2007. This happened after a lot of effort from many people, especially the group Hamas.

Alan Johnston's Early Life and School

Alan Johnston was born in Lindi, a place that is now part of Tanzania. His parents were from Scotland.

He went to Dollar Academy, a school in Scotland. This school is known for being one of the oldest co-educational schools in the world. After that, he studied at the University of Dundee. There, he earned a degree in English and politics. He also got a diploma in journalism from Cardiff University.

Alan Johnston's Career as a Journalist

Alan Johnston joined the BBC in 1991. He spent eight years working as a correspondent, which means he reported news from different countries. He reported from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Kabul, Afghanistan. He was in Kabul when the Taliban group was in control.

Before his kidnapping, he was the BBC's main reporter in Gaza. He was the only foreign reporter from a major Western news group still living there.

Reporting from Gaza

Alan covered many important stories in Gaza for the BBC. He reported on Israel's unilateral disengagement plan in 2005. He also covered when Hamas won the 2006 elections. He reported on the conflict between Israel and Gaza in 2006. He also covered the fighting between different Palestinian groups.

The BBC sees Alan Johnston as a very respected and experienced journalist. Other reporters in Gaza often asked him for information because he knew so much. Before he was kidnapped, most people didn't know who he was. After he was released, he said he wanted to go back to being less famous. However, he later started presenting a BBC radio show called From Our Own Correspondent.

What Others Said About Alan

Paul Adams, a BBC colleague, said Alan's job was to show the world what life was like for Palestinians in Gaza. Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian official, called Alan a "friend of our people." He said Alan helped their cause a lot. Even Marwan Barghouti, a Fatah leader who was in prison, called Alan a "friend of the Palestinian people."

When he wasn't reporting from other countries, Alan made radio reports. One of his reports, about life after the Taliban, won an award. He also worked as an editor for a radio show called The World Today. He also worked as a general reporter in the BBC newsroom.

From 2011 to 2014, Alan was the BBC reporter in Rome, Italy. Since 2014, he has been working from London.

The day after he was set free, Alan received an award from Amnesty International. They praised his radio reports on human rights in Gaza. They said he was dedicated to telling the stories of everyday people.

Alan Johnston's Kidnapping

A banner at BBC TV Centre supporting Alan Johnston during his captivity.

On March 12, 2007, Alan Johnston was kidnapped by a group called the Army of Islam. Many protests happened around the world to ask for his release. The group Hamas put a lot of pressure on the Army of Islam. They even threatened to find and stop them if they didn't let Alan go.

On July 4, 2007, Alan was finally freed. He met with the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh. Then, he left with British diplomats to go to Jerusalem.

Awards and Recognition

On June 19, 2008, the University of Dundee gave Alan Johnston an honorary degree. This is a special award given to people who have achieved great things.

Books by Alan Johnston

• Johnston, Alan (November 2007). Kidnapped. Profile. ISBN 978-1-84668-142-4.

See also

• Durmush Hamula
• Gilad Shalit
• John McCarthy
• Yvonne Ridley
• Olaf Wiig
• Steve Centanni
• Ces Drilon