Journalists seem to be recognizing that it’s too risky to report in today’s war zones. Only two news services (Washington Post and Newsweek) have full time correspondents in Afghanistan. And the Post is trying, without success, to find a Baghdad bureau chief. Peter Jennings, currently in Baghdad, comments on the reluctance:
The anchors, who tend to have extra security, are acutely aware of the conditions. It is “deeply frustrating” for ABC’s correspondents in Baghdad “to be trapped in the compound,” Jennings says. He says he has heard talk on the street about bounties being offered in Sunni-controlled areas south of the capital: $1,000 for a Shiite, $2,000 for a journalist, $3,000 for a U.S. soldier. “It’s very intimidating,” he says.
(Hat tip: Romanesko)