On 4th Anniversary, Editors Say War is Taking Toll -- But Vow to Keep Covering

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On 4th Anniversary, Editors Say War is Taking Toll -- But Vow to Keep Covering

By Joe Strupp

Published: March 19, 2007 11L55 AM ET

NEW YORK As the Iraq War enters its fifth year this week, newspapers that have been covering the conflict closely say the pool of reporters willing and able to report on the war is shrinking, budget constraints remain an issue, and the dangers continue to mount.

Still, top news outfits, from The New York Times to Associated Press, remain committed to covering the war, with no immediate plans for cutbacks, despite the toll it is taking, although finding fresh recruits can be difficult. "The pool of people who can go is smaller," admits Susan Chira, New York Times foreign editor since 2004. "Some of the people are cycling out now and are ready to stop now. They are ready to move on."

The AP's international editor, John Daniszewski, contends the coverage is wearing people out. "It is a toll," he said about the impact the war has had. "There are people who have gone there and are not so willing to go back, have apprehensions about going back. We have enough volunteers, but it is now often people on their first or second tour, not their fourth or fifth."

But Phil Bennett, managing editor at The Washington Post, declares: "I have never seen a more sustained example of heroism among journalists than the number of volunteers who are willing to go to Iraq."

Among those leaving Baghdad is longtime New York Times reporter John Burns, who has spent the entire war in Iraq and plans to take over the paper's London bureau this summer. Chira also noted Dexter Filkins, another longtime Times fixture there, who left last fall for a fellowship. She said the paper has maintained a pool of six to seven reporters who serve anywhere from six to 12 weeks at a time. Usually three to four reporters are based in the Baghdad bureau at any one time.

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