The Price of Journalism

         In Syria Assad's regime has been shelling and attacking Homs, along with other cities, in their fight against the so-called "insurgents". However these shellings are indiscriminate and kill more civilians than fighters. The pure terror the citizens of Homs face daily is hard to comprehend, as many are forced to take cover in basements all day in order to avoid sniper fire and mortar rounds. Food and medical aid is sparse and these people are trapped in their houses in their neighborhood, unable to do anything but hope for an end. Among these civilians are journalists trying to document the events in Homs, constantly putting their lives on the line just as the civilians do. Just this last Wednesday two international journalists were killed along with numerous others injured when a building being used as a media center was bombed by the Syrian government. US reporter Marie Colvin who was working for the UK's Sunday Times was killed in the bombardment as well as french photographer Remi Ochlik working for Paris Match magazine. The international outcry has been widespread as they mourn the loss of two remarkable journalists (Marie Colvin being known for losing an eye in Sri Lanka and for her tenacity). The day before her death Marie Colvin had described in a phone interview with the BBC that the situation was "absolutely sickening".

'She said she had witnessed the death of a two-year-old boy after he was hit by shrapnel, and said there was a "constant stream of civilians" in the field clinic she visited.
"No one here can understand how the international community can let this happen," she said.'

        The death of the two reporters has been met with international condemnation, with the US and France denouncing the events and looking into what happened. Meanwhile support for humanitarian aid and for international involvement has risen as the Red Cross tries to evacuate those seriously injured and give medical aid. Syria, of course, has been uncooperative in these attempts, although not totally against them.Other journalists injured in the blast are being treated in the primitive field hospitals they were covering just before the attack, as they are the only source of medical aid in the area. While some say this shows the indiscriminate bombing of civilians by the Syrian government, others say that it was an intentional attack against the journalists in order to stop the flow of information leaking to the outside world. whatever the case may be, this recent violence highlights the dangers journalists and correspondents face every day, as well as the dangers the people face as well.

Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik killed in deadly assault on Syrian city as activists warn of humanitarian crisis.

         Meanwhile, medical aid is running dangerously low in Homs as well as food, and many international organizations as well as the opposition groups are trying to guarantee safe passage for humanitarian aid convoys in order to get badly needed supplies to civilians. In the meantime however, Syria continues it's bombardment of Homs in what it calls an attack against "terrorists who have been attacking civilians and security forces".