Yesterday we learned that New York Times reporter David Rohde, secretly held captive by the Taliban for months, had escaped when he merely "climbed over a wall." Now details of a more complex and daring escape have emerged.
Newsweek's Maziar Bahari, who has covered Iran for the magazine for a decade, was taken into custody by Iranian officials during an early morning raid of his home. His captors also seized his computer and several videotapes.
After being held hostage by the Taliban for seven months in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Pulitzer-winning New York Times reporter David Rohde escaped from a compound to freedom. He apparently just "climbed over the wall" but still: badass happy ending! [NYT]
Traveling abroad is dangerous for the media. Take TechCrunch's Sarah Lacy for instance. She's in Rwanda, writing a book or something, when a baboon attacked her breakfast. Thankfully, she works for Michael Arrington, so she has experience handling deranged primates.
The White House press loves to complain about the terrible treatment they all endure, stuck in the basement of the White House waiting for hours to be lied to. So it may do them some good to see what real repression is like. How about this upcoming Saudi Arabia trip?
Dozens of journalists were jailed as the Republican convention ended yesterday. Some reporters were set upon by dogs. NBC's Andrea Mitchell was attacked by balloons. It's dangerous work, but someone's got to do it. (This video will probably delight Wolf Blitzer).
