Somali pirates are one of the strangest and most enticing stories for Western journalists. Given the nature of pirates and the nature of Somalia, however, it's also a difficult one to report on.
That may have resulted in some problems, according to Jamal Osman, a Somali-born journalist at the UK's Channel 4. Osman has done some digging and found that the pirates interviewed by Western media outlets such as Time Magazine and featured by Danish Broadcasting Corporation DR are not what they seem.
Instead, Osman reports, they're just local guys in Nairobi, making money ($200 a day in some cases) either by telling Western media they're pirates themselves, or acting as "fixers" and stringing Western journalists along.
Osman's entire video is worth a watch, and you can read an accompanying article here. We hope these entrepreneurial men haven't ruined their business by appearing in Osman's film.
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