Media join forces in Iraq

Safety fears lead networks to pool resources

? Concerned about the safety of their personnel, five American television networks have taken the unusual step of pooling resources to cover fighting in Iraq.

ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox News Channel have agreed to share the reports of a single camera crew embedded with the U.S. military in Fallujah, the city that’s been at the center of Iraqi violence since four American contractors were killed March 31.

Illustrating the danger, a CNN assignment editor in the pool, Tomas Etzler, was slightly wounded in the head and back during an attack Monday, said Eason Jordan, CNN’s chief news executive.

“There’s no police force to speak of, civilians are engaged in military efforts, it’s a very unstable situation,” said Bill Wheatley, NBC News vice president. “There’s not much law and order.”

The five networks, which employ three normally competitive security firms, also are sharing information on safety threats, Jordan said.

“It’s fair to say that there’s been an unprecedented level of cooperation and preparation among news organizations, especially TV news organizations, regarding safety precautions in Iraq,” he said.

The pool in Fallujah is currently made up of personnel from different organizations. The networks also are supplementing coverage with material from news services such as Associated Press Television News, which has been providing independent pictures from Fallujah.

The networks also are sharing use of a satellite dish to minimize travel along the dangerous road from Baghdad to Fallujah.

Networks usually are loathe to share resources and information but do so occasionally in unusual circumstances, such as the days after the 9-11 attacks.

Media gather in front of the Japanese embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, waiting for an update on three Japanese hostages. Major television networks are pooling news teams in Fallujah, Iraq, because of fears for reporters' safety.

“I really don’t feel the competitive edge in Iraq,” said Paul Slavin, ABC News senior vice president. “First and foremost, I feel the need for our people to be safe and to get the material we need to inform the American public. If the competitive instinct drops to third, then so be it.”

CNN has reduced its personnel in Iraq since two of its personnel were shot and killed in January outside Baghdad. But the network still has three crews there and is committed to covering the story, Jordan said.