George Clooney testifying before the US Senate earlier this month that the Sudanese government is launching repeated and unlawful attacks on unarmed civilians (and then getting arrested outside the Sudanese embassy while protesting in Washington).Angelina Jolie in the public gallery of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as its first ever verdict-against former Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga - is being handed down. And of course, P Diddy, Rihanna and Oprah twittering Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony into the social media stratosphere by re-tweeting the Kony 2012 film. What is it with superstars and war crimes? Do they deserve all the bad press they get, or do they genuinely help draw attention to under-reported conflicts?
"Yes, it's a general rule," says Charlie Kaye, Executive Producer for Radio with the mainstream American broadcaster CBS. He cites Clooney's focus on South Sudan as the best recent example of star wattage shining the light on often neglected issues. "It forced news organisations to address issues that wouldn't normally get time."And he means the issues - not just the arm candy du jour. "I don't know how you can write about what he did without offering the background."
