War reporting ‘simpler but more hazardous': Martin Bell

THE former war correspondent, Martin Bell, is arguing that reporting war is simpler but more hazardous than it has been.

Writing in the wake of the death of Sunday Times war correspondent, Marie Colvin, who died on Wednesday while covering the conflict in Syria, Bell says that, since 9/11, the danger facing war reporters now includes kidnapping, ransom and execution, when before the main dangers was about being “caught in the crossfire”.

Writing in The Sunday Post, Bell also says that it’s now easier to silence critical coverage as it’s happening because – with 24-hour rolling news – the aggrieved side of the conflict know where the reporter is who is filing it.