Since January, two highly qualified and respected British journalists – Belle Donati and Sangita Myska – have disappeared from view, having been taken off air. This happened after they questioned foreign politicians in a manner that appeared to displease them. No explanation has so far been offered to concerned viewers and fans.
Belle Donati
On 26 January 2024, respected broadcaster and Sky News anchor Belle Donati interviewed former Israeli diplomat and Knesset member, Danny Danon. She asked him hard-hitting questions about an opinion piece he co-wrote for the Wall Street Journal in November 2023 entitled ‘The West Should welcome Gaza Refugees’. The piece, which suggested that European nations should establish internationally coordinated relocation programmes for Palestinians, attracted severe criticism from several quarters. For example, Frances Coppola on Twitter-X posted that the article called for ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.
Danon’s op-ed reflected views later expressed in the ‘Victory for Israel – Settlement Brings Security’ conference held in January, attended by 11 Israeli cabinet members and 15 coalition members of the Knesset. The conference attracted widespread criticism including the governments of France and the US, as well as at home in Israel from the leader of the opposition, Yair Lapid.
It’s not unreasonable that Danon would face some questions about his expressed views on this matter. Donati’s interview pulled no punches. She interpreted his article as advocating ethnic cleansing and compared voluntary relocation of Palestinians to Europe to the German policy, from 1933 until 1941, of encouraging Jews to emigrate. Sky issued an on-air apology later that day. Danon wrote to Sky demanding she be sacked and she has not appeared on television, or on Twitter-X since.
Sangita Myska
On 15 April award-winning journalist Sangita Myska interviewed Israeli government spokesperson Avi Hyman on her popular weekend slot at LBC. Myska asked Hyman about Iran/Israeli escalation and put the Iranian case to him that Iranian attacks on Israel were in response to an Israeli air strike on an Iranian consulate building in Syria.
Hyman shook his head throughout her question and strongly disagreed with her characterisation of events.
Since the interview Myska has not appeared on her LBC slot and her social media output has been uncharacteristically muted. There has been no comment from her, nor from LBC.
In the absence of any explanation, many of her fans have concluded it is linked to her interview with Hyman.
Unexpected backlash
It’s almost as if LBC thought no one would notice the fact that Myska had gone, but her case has attracted widespread interest. Labour MP Dawn Butler tweeted a post wondering where she’d gone. Channel Four’s International Editor, Lindsay Hilsum expressed concern at her disappearance.
This tweet attracted support from human rights activists, lawyers and journalists.
Several media outlets such as Metro and Yahoo.news have started posing questions as to the reasons behind Myska’s abrupt disappearance and a petition to reinstate her has been launched by LBC listener David Noble, which has attracted more than 22,000 signatures.
Despite all of this, LBC stays silent and Myska’s spot has been filled by colleague Ali Miraj, with absolutely no explanation.
Is this a worrying trend?
If, as it appears (though no details have been given as yet)our journalists are being taken off air at the behest of foreign politicians, where does it end? Should a diplomat or government representative of another nation wield such power over our media?
Matters are made worse by the lack of explanation. Still presented as working for Sky News, Donati appears to have evaporated into the ether with no televised appearances or posts on Twitter since January. And Myska is silent apart from posting photos of plants, interpreted by some as her telling fans she is on ‘gardening’ leave. The only response to questions has been her posting on Twitter “I miss you all too” to a concerned fan.
Whatever the topic of interviews, serious journalists like Donati and Myska are there to hold public figures and politicians to account, to represent the public by challenging official narratives. The lack of public support from their co-presenters suggests some sort of legal intervention and potential gagging order. If these journalists have been silenced, this is bad news for democracy.
That they can be ‘disappeared’ in such an arbitrary manner is chilling and sets a worrying precedent for the proper functioning of our news reporting. The job of British journalists has just been made much harder.
