5. The Empty Chair

Katie Bridget Murphy meets Diane Foley, whose son Jim - a freelance journalist – is kidnapped when reporting from Syria. Diane is told by government officials to stay silent, but as months pass and hope fades, she decides to take action. From private prayers to public campaigns, her efforts will help spark an overhaul of how her government responds to hostage crises.

With thanks to the Archival Collections and Institutional Repository, Raynor Library, Marquette University, for use of material from the James Foley Collection.

Writer and Producer: Katie Bridget Murphy

Senior Producer: Ophelia Byrne

Executive Producer: Elizabeth Clark

Sound Engineers: John Benson and Davy Neill

Sound Design: Bill Maul

Artwork: Tom Cunningham

Assistant Commissioner: Prabhjit Bains

Commissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer

Judged: A Mother’s Love is a BBC Audio Northern Ireland production with BBC Sounds Audio Lab.