The release of a footage showing the brutal execution of James Foley by the Islamic State (IS) put the situation of another kidnapped Amercian journalist, Steven Sotloff, on world spotlight.

Last Tuesday, the Jihadi group uploaded a video of Foley’s gruesome execution via beheading with a threat to kill Sotloff, 31, in response to continuous U.S. military operations in Iraq. After the murder, the video showed Sotloff, a South Florida journalist who was kidnapped in Syria last August, on his knees.

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The video came with a written statement on the screen saying the life of the American journalist depended on the next steps that U.S. President Barack Obama would take. The caption pertained to the unceasing U.S. airstrikes targeting the IS.

Sotloff's family, friends, some government officials and journalist rights’ advocates reportedly kept his disappearance a secret until the video was released.

According to Committee to Protect Journalist program coordinator Sherif Mansour, Sotloff's parents imposed a blackout on the incident.

Some reports indicate that families of hostages are oftentimes advised by security firms to have no public disclosure of the abduction, and news organizations are also willing to cooperate.

Emerson Lotzia, a sports anchorman and reporter who lived with Sotloff in college, said he was part of the small circle of people who knew about Sotloff’s kidnapping issue. The family did not want the media talking about Soltoff’s case, a low-profile freelance journalist, because they were afraid of retaliation, Lotzia added.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz told the media that most affiliates of South Florida congressional delegation also knew of Sotltoff’s abduction. She also confirmed that they are trying to aid State Department efforts to release the American journalist and the other hostages.

According to U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Florida, she spoke with Sotloff's family together with several government agencies. She said they spent the last year trying to broker Sotloff's release.

Ros-Lehtinen’s office also communicated with relevant agencies, departments and organizations with connections on Syria’s ground in an effort to gain information on Sotloff.

TagsSteven Sotloff, journalist, war, Iraq, family, james foley, Barack Obama, ISIS, Committee to Protect Journalists, Emerson Lotzi, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Debbie Wasserman Schultz