Current TV is one of my favorite things to watch in the morning, and their Vanguard series has some amazing investigative journalism. The Narcotics war in Mexico (including the role of America in arming all sides), visiting the island bases of the Indonesian pirates, visiting an arms market in Somalia, etc, all journalism the likes of which you seldom see in American media.

With good investigative journalism comes real danger. And two Current TV journalists are currently on trial in North Korea after being captured (kidnapped?) while covering a story about North Korean refugees in China. Until recently I haven't heard too much about this in America, and Current TV itself has been low key about it, but here is the latest from BBC News:

US journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee are about to go on trial in North Korea, accused of illegal entry and "hostile acts". If found guilty, they could end up in prison or a labour camp. The BBC's Michael Dobie looks at the background to the case.

Laura Ling and Euna Lee are journalists with San Francisco-based Current TV, former US Vice-President Al Gore's media company...

According to officials in Pyongyang, guards arrested them on 17 March and accused them of crossing into North Korea illegally.

But the two women claim they had no intention of entering secretive North Korea, and both South Korean media and diplomatic sources say the North's guards crossed into Chinese territory to arrest them.

"We don't know the details of what happened on 17 March, but if at any point the girls went into North Korea, then we apologise on their behalf," Lisa Ling, Laura's sister said on CNN's Larry King Live on Monday

"We beg your government to allow [them] to come home."

Ms Ling's husband, Iain Clayton, read out a letter she had written from captivity: "While I am trying to remain hopeful, each day becomes harder and harder to bear. I am so lonely and scared."

Bill Richardson, who has been instrumental in other difficult negotiations with North Korea, has suggested North Korea is using these two journalists as bargaining chips, which is particularly worrisome given the current brinkmanship that North Korea has been engaging in.

Perhaps now is a good time to plug not just Current TV, but also Reporters Without Borders, whose mission statement seems quite appropriate in these circumstances:

In some countries a journalist can be thrown in prison for years for a single offending word or photo. Jailing or killing a journalist removes a vital witness to events and threatens the right of us all to be informed. Reporters Without Borders has fought for press freedom on a daily basis since it was founded in 1985.

And best wishes to Laura Ling, Euna Lee and their families.