Number Of Foreign Journalists In Iraq Declining Sharply

The number of foreign journalists in Baghdad is declining sharply, a media withdrawal that reflects Iraq's growing stability and the financial strains faced by some news organizations.

In a stark indication of the changing media focus here, the number of journalists traveling with American forces in Iraq has plummeted in the past year. U.S. military officials say they "embedded" journalists 219 times in September 2007. Last month, the number shrank to 39. Of the dozen U.S. newspapers and newspaper chains that maintained full-time bureaus in Baghdad in the early years of the war, only four are still permanently staffed by foreign correspondents. CBS and NBC no longer keep a correspondent in Baghdad year-round.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[cmp]

Micheal Weir is the best damned journalist Iraq ever had and only CNN carried his expertice. Petreaus didn't and doesn't have more knowledge on this coflict than Weir. He's amazing ! Did anyone hear his response to McCains claim that in Baghdad you didn't need armor to travel around the neighborhoods because they were safe ? My hat's off to Michael. A great journalist and patriot who risked his life to bring us the truth.

[mrskorn]

Gee, guess things are going pretty well! Too bad no one will admit this.

[marymansour]

These journalists are no fools. They know the dirtiest, scummiest warfare is taking place on the campaign trail of Palin and McCain. they're taking a domestic break from Iraq to report on Mac and his vulture, Sary.

[DrJohnnySkeptic]

The journalists are the only ones who really know what's going on. Unfortunately, they can only report and not really tell the full truth. The journalists are smart to pull out. It's a dangerous practice in futility. No one's going to win this war and they know it. It's just going to keep getting more violent until there is a further infrastructure collapse - not a win.

OBAMA/BIDEN 2008!

[ohiomark]

The amount of "bad news" coming out of Iraq has gone way down and since they don't report good news, there is no reason for them to be there.

[ErnestineBass]

It's dipsheetz like you that stupidly believe that "no news is good news".

[ProudAmerican23]

when was the last time you watched the news and seen a feel good story that wasnt used to fill dead air time? the truth is that Good news isnt good for ratings, its like the hurricane reporting - every channel needs to have a reporter knee deep in water and facing the winds, but after the storm its forgotten. Think about it... when did you last see a full report about rebuilding Galveston?

[Kevbo68]

We're lacking journalists in the west also.

[ErnestineBass]

Ain't THAT the truth!

[dadw5boys]

U.S. MEDIA HAS OTHER MARCHING ORDERS !!!!!!!!

Military made ENBED so hard to get for so long the reporters gave up mostly. Guards would not even let them leave the Green Zone most of the time. Trapped in a hotel room for weeks at a time broke them.

[tlgeiger62]

Interesting and illustrative of the far-reaching effects of the economic crisis.