Press Retreats as Iraq Heats Up Again

Source: Editor & Publisher Online

NEW YORK -- The ongoing violence and resistance in Iraq has forced military leaders -- and newspaper editors -- to reassess their postwar plans. Journalists in Iraq who expected to spend most of their time covering reconstruction and the creation of a new government now must also cover the daily violence that has killed more than 30 U.S. soldiers (and at least one reporter) since the war's end and sparked renewed concerns about their own safety.

At the same time, the number of reporters in the postwar zone has plunged just as fears rise that the U.S. may be slipping into a costly, drawn-out, guerrilla conflict. While military experts debate whether there are enough troops on the ground, others wonder if there are enough reporters in- country at this critical moment.

Most editors, who said they nearly broke the bank to staff Iraq coverage during the war, find that budget constraints -- and summer vacation schedules -- have limited their resources for postwar stories. The need to cover other foreign hot spots, such as Liberia, Israel, and North Korea, allows fewer people for Iraq. And the Pentagon's "embed" program is now down to 23 reporters, from a high of more than 700 during the war. ---

to know whats going on in Iraq :eyes:

I doubt its any more dangerous now than it was for reporters in the Palestine Hotel during the war :eyes:

in Merika. Surely they have offices in Washington DC

They're absolutely right. War is important, but not as important as summer vacations.

How many reporters are left in Afghanistan? How many of the general public know that the war in Afghanistan is still going on?

Summary: If it is unprofitable or inconvenient, we won't tell you the news.