Jamal Khashoggi remembered in Washington Post's heartbreaking Super Bowl ad

The 60-second clip, narrated by actor Tom Hanks, will air in the fourth quarter of the game, shortly before the two-minute warning.
2 min read
03 February, 2019
The CIA believe Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered an operation to kill Khashoggi [AFP]

Murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi will be remembered in a Washington Post clip set to premiere at Sunday's Super Bowl LIII, which aims to highlight the work of reporters and the dangers they face, the paper said.

The 60-second clip, narrated by actor Tom Hanks, will air in the fourth quarter of the game, shortly before the two-minute warning.

It will present pictures of slain and missing journalists affiliated with The Washington Post, and other news outlets, including Khashoggi, a columnist for the paper.

Freelance reporter Austin Tice, who has been missing in Syria for over six years, will also be mentioned in the clip.

"The Super Bowl is a remarkable moment to recognise the courage and commitment of journalists around the world that is so essential to our democracy," said Fred Ryan, publisher and CEO of The Washington Post.

"We decided to seize the opportunity to make this a milestone moment in our ongoing campaign."

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who wrote critically about the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October, likely at the orders of the young but powerful royal.

The CIA believe Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered an operation to kill Khashoggi and say his body was dismembered and removed to a location still publicly unknown.

His remains have not been found.

Meanwhile, little information made public about photojournalist Tice, who was detained at a checkpoint near Damascus on August 14, 2012, believed to be detained by regime forces.

The freelance journalist, who worked for McClatchy NewsThe Washington PostCBSAFP and other news organisations, was last seen in a September 2012 video, but it remained unclear whether he was being held by militants, regime forces or others.

Tice's family has launched several appeals for information about his whereabouts, saying they believe he is still alive.

The Super Bowl remains one of the top marketing events of the year with 30-second spots costing some $5 million to reach the estimated 100 million US viewers, an outlier in a media environment that has become increasingly fragmented into targeted segments.

Analysts say the latest Super Bowl ads are part of a broader trend where brands are promoting their social values.