The kidnapping of Jill Carroll in Baghdad is a reminder of the dangers that journalists face in the most dangerous war zones and of the importance of foreign correspondents in explaining distant places.

Carroll, a freelance writer on assignment for The Christian Science Monitor, felt a deep sympathy for Iraqis. She was visiting a dangerous neighbourhood in Baghdad on January 7 to interview an Iraqi politician when her translator was killed and she was kidnapped. Somebody with her sensibilities, willing to take risks, is just the kind of reporter that is needed to explain the turbulence in Iraq. It is no surprise that the abduction has been denounced by many Iraqis. Even some among the Sunni community, where opposition to the US invasion is highest, have come out against the kidnapping. The Iraqi perspective is best obtained from reporters with a toe in both cultures.

Beginning with the US invasion in 2003, 60 journalists have been killed in Iraq, making it by far the most dangerous place on earth to be a reporter. The danger has worsened as journalists have become targets by design instead of happenstance. Doing journalism in Iraq is a tough, exhausting, and dangerous craft. Not to do it, however, would leave communication about the struggle of its people to the gunmen and suicide bombers. — The Boston Globe