Time to cut their losses?

James Taranto thinks it's time for the press to cut its losses.

The deteriorating situation in Iraq coupled with the targeted killings of reporters in several countries made 2006 the deadliest year on record for journalists, the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression report. At least 82 journalists lost their lives as a direct result of their work--up from about 60 the previous year--with war zones proving the most dangerous locales, the group reports. "A lot of those journalists were killed in war zones, particularly Iraq, where 39 journalists, at least, lost their lives this year," said Julie Payne, manager of the Toronto-based group.

We don't ever remember a journalist saying that war reporting just isn't worth the risk--that the networks, wire services and newspapers should cut and run from Iraq or any other war zone. Do journalists think theirs is a more noble calling than the liberation of a country?