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War stories

© Daryl Lease

When the Newseum's exhibit "War Stories" opened shortly before Memorial Day last May, it offered a timely look at the history of war reporting, stretching from the Crimean War to the Persian Gulf War and other recent conflicts.

Any opening date for the exhibit would have been timely, of course. The demand for war correspondents may rise and fall, but -- mankind being what it is -- there's almost always work to be had somewhere in the world.

The exhibit has taken on new relevance in recent weeks with the United States at war against Afghanistan and terrorist organizations around the world. Once again, we rely on war reporters and photographers to bring us accurate descriptions and pictures of what's happening.

"War Stories" is scheduled to remain on display until Nov. 11. If you happen to be in the Washington D.C., you can stop by for a visit and see the real thing. Or you can visit the he Newseum's Web site -- http://www.newseum.org/warstories -- and take a cybertour.

The online version of the exhibit covers 150 years of war reporting. Among other things, you'll read about the contributions of well-known photographers Matthew Brady, Nick Ut and Margaret Bourke-White and famous reporters like Ernie Pyle, Edward R. Murrow, John Hersey and Ernest Hemingway.

Curator Harold Evans, author of "The American Century" and a former editor for The Times of London, provides a quick but informative history of war reporting in a five-part essay. The online exhibit also features video interviews with Morley Safer, Ted Koppel, Dan Rather and other war correspondents.

While you're visiting the Newseum site, be sure to check out its other features. At the moment, the offerings include a gallery of front pages from the first few days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, plus comments from readers about the media's performance in the past month.