Journalists and support staff who were killed or went missing during this year's war in Iraq have been honored in a book that also sheds light on how the media works in conflict zones.  

Dying To Tell The Story includes personal tributes by leading broadcast and print correspondents including BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson, NBC's Tom Brokaw, Head of ITV News in the UK, David Mannion, John Tulloh of Australia's ABC, Cullen Murphy from Atlantic Monthly, and Jim Smith from the Boston Globe.

The book is published by the International News Safety Institute (INSI) and on sale via www.newssafety.com, with all proceeds going to journalism charities.

"One of the most damning indictments of the media profession is that reporters provide the ink and others provide the blood," says Chris Cramer, CNN International's Managing Director and the INSI's Honorary President.

"During the spring of 2003, as the war in Iraq raged across TV screens and in the pages of the press, 16 members of the media profession provided both the ink and the blood."

Reporters, cameramen, translators and support workers were killed in "friendly fire" from coalition forces and tragic accidents.

Correspondents who died included ITN's Terry Lloyd, NBC's David Bloom, Al-Jazeera's Tareq Ayyoub and Elizabeth Neuffer of the Boston Globe.

Dying To Tell The Story also examines how wars are reported in the 21st century, including the work of organizations that give safety training and security for journalists, and the real fears among media organizations, including the emerging Arab broadcasters, that they are being "targeted" because of their influence.

It is estimated that several thousand members of the media were deployed before the coalition attack on Iraq began on March 20.

They were stationed in northern Iraq, Baghdad, Kuwait, and the Gulf States, with about 600 "embedded" with the US and British military.

(China Daily November 11, 2003)