TT: Reporter in Krisengebieten - Deutsche Journalisten unterwegs im Nahen Osten - je 02.06.2008

Welcome back. Nowhere is the journalist's job more critical and more challenging than in regions at war or in crisis. The way media report - or distort - facts can foment additional conflict or foster understanding that eventually facilitates peace. But reporters in such regions face a manifold challenge. Working conditions are often miserable: kidnappings, shootings, accidents and other perils are common in war zones. Information is frequently distorted by military and political officials; distinguishing propaganda from fact may be difficult when journalists are not permitted to go and see for themselves. Take the Middle East. Foreign correspondents have left the Gaza strip, for example. And Palestinian journalists in the West Bank and Gaza are prohibited from going to Israel. How can media still report independently and fairly? Here's a closer look.