Reporting from the Wars 1850 - 2015: The origins and evolution of the war correspondent

From the foundations of the world's first great empires to the empires of today, war has preoccupied human civilisation for as many as 4000 years. It has fascinated, horrified, thrilled, confused, inspired and disgusted mankind since records began. Provoking such a huge range of emotions and reactions and fulfilling all the elements of newsworthiness, it is hardly surprising that war makes 'good' news.

Modern technological advancements, such as the camera and television, brought the brutality of war into the homes and daily lives of the public. No longer a far-away and out-of-sight affair, the public's ability to 'see' what was happening on the frontline changed not only how wars were fought but why they were fought. Even when a war is considered 'popular, ' the involvement of the press and the weight of public opinion has led to criticisms that have transformed modern warfare almost in equal measure to the changes brought about by weapon technology. War reporting seeks to look beyond the official story, to understand the very nature of conflict whilst acknowledging that it is no longer simply good versus evil.

This edited volume presents a unique insight into the work of the war correspondent and battlefield photographer from the earliest days of modern war reporting to the present. It reveals how, influenced by the changing face of modern warfare, the work of the war correspondent has been significantly altered in style, method, and practice. By combining historical analysis with experiences of modern day war reporting, this book provides an important contribution to the understanding of this complicated profession, which will be of interest to journalists, academics, and students, alike.

Barry Turner is a senior lecturer in the Lincoln School of English and Journalism at the University of Lincoln, UK. His teaching focuses on law and the media, science and environmental journalism, reporting of conflict, terrorism, and war. Before becoming an academic, Barry worked as a lawyer in the criminal justice system. His previous research interests include the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on war veterans and victims of medical accidents. Currently, he is involved in researching reporting on terrorism and medical science. He is joint editor of Routledge's Specialist Journalism.

Daniel Barredo Ibáñez is a professor in the Journalism and Public Opinion program at the Universidad del Rosario, Colombia. Currently, He is leading the project "Public sphere and citizen participation," which is funded by the Big Grants fund of the Universidad del Rosario. He is the author of some 100 works on topics related to social media, political participation, organizational discourse or communication from Spain, Colombia, Mexico or Ecuador.

Steven James Grattan is a lecturer and researcher in the Journalism and Public Opinion Programme at the Universidad del Rosario, Colombia. His teaching focuses on international journalism, media and power, and news production. Steven is co-founder of an English language newspaper and website, The Bogota Post. He is also a freelance correspondent, reporting on issues related to human rights and peace. His work features in The Guardian and Reuters, among others.