1) Cheaper: It is cheaper for MSM to pay UPI a small fee for "wire reports" from "local sources" (foreign media personnel whose sources may or may not be verifiable.)
2) Less liability: Using foreign media (local sources) also absolves the media outlet from defending the information if it is questioned later.
3) U.S. military is still very supportive of indie photojournalists, but is anyone listening back home?
Yes, military families and supporters stay involved. Many citizens have forgotten about our troops overseas. These brave troops have completed multiple deployments since 2003. Both they and their families are suffering the effects of multiple 12 - 15 month long deployments.
I am planning for a military embed in Afghanistan soon. When it happens depends upon finding a media outlet that will help defray expenses and publish the images and story, and military logistics.
In the meantime, I will become more involved in the milblogging community via milblogging.com this year to let you know what is happening as often as I can. Here is a link to my profile on milblogging.com:
View My Milblogging.com Profile
