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The article, through a series of interviews conducted with women war correspondents in Great Britain, cautions against undue optimism since sexism in the field, both within the military and among journalists, continues to prevail. The authors of the essay do not subscribe to a feminization of war news theory but instead suggest that a "journalism of attachment," which favors more human stories of civilian victims is creating a productive arena for women reporters. It is suggested that the presence of women in the frontline may also be indicative of a change in war storylines. A female perspective is allowing for greater engagement with the lives of the victims of war rather than its technical and strategic aspects.

The article argues that audience perceptions about women have not kept pace with institutional changes in the field of journalism. Thus, the spaces available for women as agents in war journalism continue to be attenuated. Given that most news about Iraq was coming from the wire services or international media agencies, the South African Broadcasting Corp. adopted a different approach in an attempt to offer an alternative view of events in Iraq. For the first time, a decision was taken to send South African reporters and cameramen, as "unilaterals," to a combat zone. One of the reporters, who arrived in Baghdad the first day the U.S. invasion began and remained throughout the bombardment of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, was a young woman named, Renee Horne. South African audiences continued to feminize Horne, demanding that she look glamorous.