I couldn’t help but be mesmerized this morning watching the video that accompanies The New York Times front page story about a unit of American and Iraqi troops who fall prey to a land mine. The photographer for the story, Michael Kamber (who is, full disclosure, a friend) spends a good six minutes calmly describing the moments that led up to the blast and the minutiae of what happened in the stunned aftermath. His incredible photos accompany his words. It’s a rare moment where readers are really placed face to face with the reality that confronts soldiers in Iraq every day. And it was hard for me not to also think about Kamber himself, and how much journalists covering the war still risk bringing us this difficult story.
Gal Beckerman is a former staff writer at CJR and a writer and editor for the New York Times Book Review.
the kicker
