By: Joe Strupp An internal memo sent to staffers at
The Wall Street Journal earlier this week by Managing Editor Paul Steiger, in which he reminds foreign correspondents gearing up for war with Iraq to take extra safety precautions, was perceived by some in the media to be a sign that the paper planned to hold back on its aggressive wartime coverage.
Among the memo's directives: "Steer far from areas where fighting has already occurred" and "when a reporter goes into an area where fighting has already occurred ... he or she must do so with caution and with prior approval from his or her bureau chief."
But Steiger told E&P Online that the memo, originally forwarded to
Journal staff after the Sept. 11 attacks a year ago, simply reiterates the paper's policy of focusing on the overall picture of the war, not each battle line story, and is in no way a mandate for easing coverage.
"The basic point is that we are not looking for the daily coverage of the front lines, warfare, or street demonstrations," Steiger said. "Our mission is to do this in a selective way that does not duplicate the daily papers, the wires or TV. Just because other journalists are strapping on their bullet-proof vests, that is not what we want our people to do."
Steiger added that the cautious tone was not a reaction to the murder of
Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and executed by terrorists in Pakistan earlier this year. "Danny's situation is not something that people easily forget, nor should they," he said. "But journalists are more likely to be targets (today) and need to think more about their safety than in the recent past."
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