Few Newspapers Covering Afghanistan

By: Joe Strupp As violence in Afghanistan intensifies, along with plans for expanded U.S. funding and possible military efforts, American newspapers are keeping their staffing in the war-torn country to a minimum, blaming budget cutbacks, a perceived lack of reader interest, and the need for resources in Iraq and other international hot spots.

Over a satellite phone from Kabul, Pam Constable, The Washington Post's only reporter in the country, admitted that the lack of support has forced her to put some stories on the back burner. "I have a list of stories 20 items long," she said. "There are times when I can't keep up."

Although there are fewer than 10,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, compared to more than 120,000 in Iraq, signs that the Taliban is back, while the Bush Administration pushes for expanded international peacekeeping forces, would indicate a need for more news coverage. Editors at several major newspapers either don't agree or say that they can't spare the journalists from other overseas assignments.

"Iraq has taken a substantial amount of manpower we could use elsewhere," said Mike Jett, deputy foreign editor for the Chicago Tribune, which has one stringer in Afghanistan, but three staffers in Iraq. "I think Afghanistan has been busy, but there has not been a real spike in news. We cover it as best we can." Jett said the Tribune had up to three staffers there during the war. "I don't think we would increase it -- it is too goddamn expensive!" he exclaimed.

Andrew Ross, national and foreign editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, which has one person in Iraq and none in Afghanistan, echoed that view. "Afghanistan is somewhat undercovered," he opined. "But I think it is a question of resources."

Cox Newspapers has no one in Afghanistan. "We have to pick and choose where we can put people, where it is smart to put people," said Foreign Editor Chuck Holmes, who oversees the chain's seven foreign correspondents. "There is not compelling interest in daily filings for our papers out of Afghanistan." Holmes added, "We are toying with having someone there before the end of the year to do some stories."

At the Los Angeles Times, the only coverage comes from Delhi-based reporter Paul Watson, who spends about one-third of his time in Afghanistan. "I don't have the staff right now to have someone there, primarily because of Iraq," said Marjorie Miller, foreign editor. "My hope is to get a stringer (in Afghanistan) full time at some point." The Times suffered a tragedy last week when foreign correspondent Mark Fineman, 51, died in Iraq of a heart attack.

Newsday Foreign Editor Dele Olojede said he has temporarily relocated the paper's Moscow correspondent to Afghanistan along with a photographer for several weeks to do a special report, but does not plan to staff the country beyond the middle of October: "Two people in one place is a big deal for us."

David Hoffman, foreign editor of The Washington Post, said Constable is able to cover everything that is needed there, and criticized those who rate the paper only by the amount of people it sends to a region. "Look at the journalism, not just the numbers," he said. "Looking at how many people you have there is an imperfect way to judge." John Walcott, Washington bureau chief for Knight Ridder, believes the two people he has assigned to Afghanistan are enough. "One thing that would increase it is a major military action," he explained.

About a dozen U.S. reporters are taking part in an informal "embedding" program in Afghanistan. Embedding continues in both Iraq and Afghanistan, albeit on a much less-restrictive basis than during the Iraq war. Although the number of journalists embedding with troops in Iraq has plummeted -- from more than 700 at the height of the conflict to just about 35 -- the program remains in effect, according to Pentagon officials.

A major change, however is a loosening of rules, which had restricted journalists to specific slots and banned them from switching embed assignments. Now, media representatives can embed for hours or weeks at a time and easily go between units. In Afghanistan, which has had a similar, flexible embedding program for more than a year, about a dozen journalists continue to take part. Said Major Peter Mitchell, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command: "It's very informal."