The war in Iraq has been exceedingly dangerous for Reuters journalists. Six correspondents have been killed. Others have been taken hostage by warring factions and several had been held by U.S. forces.
On Tuesday at the Beet.TV executive summit in Washington, I sat down with Victor Antonie, longtime Reuters Television editor who ran operations in Israel and Afghanistan. He is now based in Washington where he is editor for the Americas.
He explained how the news organization has come to rely on a network of 35 stringers throughout the war torn nation. He says that they shoot with small digital cameras, edit on laptops and send video files via an ftp network and satellite phones.
He says that the video gathering is extremely helpful for the bureau in Baghdad in its text reporting. He also addressed some questions about the impartiality of Iraqi stringers, telling me that the stringer and their work is carefully scrutinized.
Below is a Reuters piece from Najaf. This is invaluable reporting.
For more on our summit, which took place at the Embassy of Finland, see the opening remarks by Wall Street Journal columnist Walt Mossberg.
— Andy Plesser
