Judged: A Mother's Love - 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.

Published on Tuesday, 10th February 2026.

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