American reporters, like Jill Carroll, in Iraq

[marylanddem]

This war is so unlike the reporting we saw on Vietnam - where every night we were faced with the images of death and bombings till it became unbearable - and I think that reporting was what catalyzed the anti-war movement.
But with Iraq, and reporters for whatever reasons not on the actual "battlefields" (not that most of this conflict involves actual "battles") or at the scenes of these IED attacks (obviously can't be there till after the thing has gone off) we are immunized from the horrific images.
I wonder what people think the role of reporters in Iraq should be? I mean, if these people can't cover the actual war, what should they be covering? Should they be covering the intricacies of internal politicking, as Carroll was apparently doing, or trying to do, when kidnapped? I don't exactly know what I'm driving at - but I feel that there is something really bizarre about the situation of the so-called "green zone" and these sterilized reports...I am also concerned that the Christian Science Monitor would allow a young freelance reporter to endanger herself like that in order to get whatever is passing for "news" from there these days. As a sometime freelancer myself, I realize how hungry freelancers can be and wonder if the paper's regular reporters are similarly endangering themselves? I hope Jill Carroll's editors/publishers are held properly responsible if she becomes another fatality...

[laura888]

1. It seems to me that the only media coverage coming out of Iraq...

is 1)numbers of fatalities (accompanied by 1-2 photos), and 2)elections (think purple finger).

This is absolutely sanitized coverage. It's not like they don't have high-powered, satellite-connected video equipment that they can't take to areas where bombs have exploded.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. the embed program is a perfect success.

even though it allegedly was put in place to protect journalists, it actually was intended and did prevent reporters from indie reporting not approved by the military and DOD. This was news control of the highest order, and in that respect, a perfect success.

Even so, as invasions go, this has been an extremely deadly invasion for journalists. many have been killed by US bombs, tanks and cleansing operations. At last count, seven members of the "coalition" have raised serious complaints to the US about how their journalists were killed.

[madrchsod]

3. i suggest you start reading these two sites

then check the other iraqi blogs. this should give you insights into what is happening on the ground in iraq. a star from mosul is a young girl who is writing for nyt select this month and treasure was just in the usa for several weeks.

http://astarfrommosul.blogspot.com/
A Star from Mosul

http://baghdadtreasure.blogspot.com/
Treasure of Baghdad

[marylanddem]

4. Thanks - I will n/t