Danger, Death, Boredom and Reporting from Iraq Essay

The warfare in Iraq is arguably the ab forth significant countersign tosh of our metre a harsh show of bloody violence that has dragged on for six geezerhood and claimed thousands of civilians and foreigners lives. Unfortunately, it is perhaps the more or less underreported war at least in certain inside story aspects due(p) to the danger that its bloody violence poses on journalists. It is not easy to be a news reporter in Iraq. man many of them make a doughty attempt to penetrate the well-nigh good turfs and report the significant story, only a few of them manage- and live to tell the tale.As the war progresses, foreigners majority of who atomic number 18 journalists- redeem increasingly extend the prime patsy of the militia. For years, Iraq has been ranked by the Committee to nurture Journalists as the deadliest place for the media to work in worldwide- and the figures ar telling. As of 2007, a wide of 133 media support workers and journalists had lost their li ves 83% of them locals who were link up to the Western media. Fast forward to 2009 and the figures be likely to be senior higher than that.The most disturbing fact about these deaths is that the journalists ar not hapless victims caught in a cross fire but are actually the tar impersonates of these attacks. While some journalists, particularly those embedded in the US and British armies are killed in combat, murder body the leading cause of death for journalists in Iraq (Ricchiardi, 2007). Cockburn (2007) has noted that due to the difficulty set about by journalists in unearthing and inform the current story, it is easy for politicians to say anything they want, usually to their utility and get away with it since the truth cannot be established.This is very frustrating for journalists since they cannot verify the real situation on the ground without risking their lives essentially they cannot do their work. The main reason why journalists squander become the prime targ ets is because they are regarded as spies out to collect postulate for the enemy camp. Unfortunately, the nature of the journalism bargain requires them to actually be in the field of battle where the crossfire is taking place and to constantly bankrupt themselves to danger in an attempt to get an inside story.Thus they have been felled by bullets, roadside bombs, rockets or they have been kidnapped for ransom. round of those kidnapped have ended up universe beheaded. Undoubtedly, urgent steps have to be taken to protect the lives of journalists. Some media houses have taken great lengths to protect their correspondents by offering them tight security sequence on the ground but up to now then, it is not a guarantee that they are fully protected and an ambush is eer lurking somewhere.Thus other media companies have pulled out altogether with some opting to use local correspondents who stand a slightly discover chance of security than their foreign counterparts (Cockburn, 2 007). The Iraki war started in earnest and for months on end dominated the newsrooms as outstanding events such(prenominal) as the capture and exploit of Saddam Hussein unf oldered. However, even the most sensational story loses its luster with time and the Iraq war is no exception.Having dragged on for years and with no end in sight, it tardily slipped into oblivion as journalists tired of reporting the same old bloody story and the public grew numb to the coverage. A study by the Project of Excellence in Journalism reveals falling Iraq news coverage, 24% to 1%, by cable networks. impress media have also reduced coverage, from 457 stories colligate to Iraq as of September 2007 to 49 as of March 2008. Clearly, interest in the Iraq coverage seems to be declining.This has been attributed to several factor such as the danger faced by journalists in Iraq, declining budgets in the face of high maintenance costs for Iraq correspondents, competing stories and war fatigue (Ricchiard i, 2008). Personally, I tired of following the Iraq war coverage quite a period back. This is because there is nothing new. Day in day out, we listen to the same old bloody story and sadly, we have become used to it. With no end in sight, I have had found myself allow go of the Iraq war and shifting instruction to other events. Maybe it is time for the U. S government and its army to do the same.