From Missouri to Syria, Journalists Are Becoming Targets

In a series of interviews, reporters, editors and those who monitor the freedom of the press described a harsh environment for reporters both at home and abroad, complicated by changes in the way that journalists work, and a change in the way they are viewed by both governments, and the public. Though journalism has always been challenging and sometimes dangerous, said Martin Baron, the executive editor of The Washington Post, there is little question that currently “people who are in authority have a preference for journalists not being witness to wrongdoing.” If reporters face imprisonment or death for “simply doing the job of reporting,” he said, “it is incredibly difficult to do that kind of work.”