War correspondent A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone . In the 19th century they were also called " Special Correspondents " . Methods . Their jobs require war correspondents to deliberately go to the most conflict - ridden parts of the world . Once there they attempt to get close enough to the action to provide written accounts , photos , or film footage . Thus , being a war correspondent is often considered the most dangerous form of journalism . On the other hand , war coverage is also one of the most successful branches of journalism . Newspaper sales increase greatly in wartime and television news ratings go up . News organizations have sometimes been accused of militarism because of the advantages they gather from conflict . William Randolph Hearst is often said to have encouraged the Spanish - American War for this reason . ( See Yellow journalism ) Only some conflicts receive extensive worldwide coverage , however . Among recent wars , the Kosovo War received a great deal of coverage , as did the Persian Gulf War . Many third - world wars , however , tend to receive less substantial coverage because corporate media are often less interested , the lack of infrastructure makes reporting more difficult and expensive , and the conflicts are also far more dangerous for war correspondents . History . Written war correspondents have existed as long as journalism . Before modern journalism it was more common for longer histories to be written at the end of a conflict . The first known of these is Herodotus ' s account of the Persian Wars , however he did not himself participate in the events . Thucydides , who some years later wrote a history of the Peloponnesian War s was an observer to the events he described . The first modern war correspondent is said to be Dutch painter Willem van de Velde , who in 1653 took to sea in a small boat to observe a naval battle between the Dutch and the English , of which he made many sketches on the spot , which he later developed into one big drawing that he added to a report he wrote to the States General . A further modernization came with the development of newspapers and magazines . One of the earliest war correspondents was Henry Crabb Robinson , who covered Napoleon ' s campaigns in Spain and Germany for " The Times " of London . Crimean War . William Howard Russell , who covered the Crimean War , also for " The Times " , is often described as the first modern war correspondent . The stories from this era , which were almost as lengthy and analytical as early books on war , took numerous weeks from being written to being published . Third Italian War of Independence . Another renowned journalist , Ferdinando Petruccelli della Gattina , Italian correspondent of European newspapers such as " La Presse " , " Journal des débats " , " Indépendance Belge " and " The Daily News " , was known for his extremely gory style in his articles but involving at the same time . Jules Claretie , critic of " Le Figaro " , was amazed about his correspondence of the Battle of Custoza , during the Third Italian War of Independence : « Nothing could be more fantastic and cruelly true than this tableau of agony . Reportage has never given a superior artwork » . Russo - Japanese War . It was not until the telegraph was developed that reports could be sent on a daily basis and events could be reported as they occurred that the short mainly descriptive stories of today became common . Press coverage of the Russo - Japanese War was affected by restrictions on the movement of reporters and strict censorship . In all military conflicts which followed this 1904 - 1905 war , close attention to more managed reporting was considered essential . First World War . The First World War was characterized by rigid censorship . British Lord Kitchener hated reporters , and so reporters were banned from the Front at the start of the War . But reporters such as Basil Clarke and Philip Gibbs lived as fugitives near the Front , sending back their reports . The Government eventually allowed some accredited reporters in April 1915 , and this continued until the end of the War . This meant , though , that the Government was able to control what they saw . French authorities were equally opposed to war journalism , but less competent ( criticisms of the French high command were leaked to the press during the Battle of Verdun in 1916 ) . By far the most rigid and authoritarian regime was imposed by the United States , though General John J . Pershing allowed embedded reporters ( Floyd Gibbons was severely wounded at Belleau Wood in 1918 ) . The discourse in mediated conflicts is influenced by its public character . By forwarding information and arguments to the media , conflict parties attempt to gain support from their constituencies and persuade their opponents . The continued progress of technology has allowed live coverage of events via satellite up - links . The rise of twenty - four hour news channels has led to a heightened demand for coverage . Early film and television news rarely had war correspondents . Rather they would simply collect footage provided by other sources , often the government , and the news anchor would then add narration . This footage was often staged as cameras were large and bulky until the introduction of small , portable motion picture cameras during WWII . The situation changed dramatically with the Vietnam War when networks from around the world sent cameramen with portable cameras and correspondents . This proved damaging to the United States as the full brutality of war became a daily feature on the nightly news . Notable war correspondents . 20th century . Some of them became authors of fiction drawing on their war experiences , including Davis , Crane and Hemingway .