Strange article from David Schlesinger, global managing editor and head of editorial operations for Reuters in the International Herald Tribune. Schlesinger doesn't believe that journalists have been targeted by U.S. military and his position is shared by a large majority of media analysts (see below excerpts of his article). So, what's the issue?

What is not acceptable is to generalize the word "journalists" as if there was no difference between Western journalists (or Arab journalists working for Western media) and Arab journalists. That is not the case. When reporters from Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya were killed in very specific conditions in Irak, who cared? The media and the organizations to ask for serious inquiries were scarce: the issue is that, almost systematically, double standard is applied!. It explains why - as Schlesinger does - you can consider that the community of journalists is not targeted. And in fact you forget that, in this "community", some journalists are seen as "friends" and some others as "hostile reporters". On the battlefield, ask Arab journalists or editors, they know that this idea of "community" is a myth...

I regret that David Schlesinger doesn't mention that, but I appreciate this first reflexion on journalists' safety. Here are some quotes of his article: "With Eason Jordan's resignation from CNN, newly powerful bloggers reveled in their unseating of another mainstream-media powerhouse. The term "Easongate" briefly entered the English language. And world attention was distracted from the serious issue of journalists' safety... I personally do not believe that journalists have been targeted... I know that too many journalists have been killed and kidnapped, and I know that to keep the vital flow of news out of that country going, we need to do everything in our power to make the situation safer.