“Now it is mainly rebel-held Syria that is a no-go zone for outside reporters. War correspondents can generally weather violence. But it is another matter if you have a high chance of being snatched at gunpoint by rebel groups that are supposed to protect you. One jihadist internet site has urged fighters to nab all journalists, whom they sometimes accuse of being spies; foreign aid workers are also being targeted. At least 16 foreign and 60 local journalists are currently missing, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF in French), a Paris-based lobby. Many more cases go unpublicised, sometimes at the request of victims’ families. (RSF also notes that at least 25 professional journalists and 70 “citizen” ones have so far been killed in the conflict.) The regime has taken advantage of this. It has become more generous with visas for Western journalists, favouring those sympathetic to its claims to be resisting foreign meddling………..”

Cheers
mhg