Unlike any other player on the board, the press has no oversight, no mandate, few penalties, and even fewer consequences. Because there are not enough reporters on the ground, too many bureaus have outsourced both their reporting and standards to third party stringers whose spectacular videos of explosions and inflated body counts have shown up on both jihadist recruiting sites and American television screens, simultaneously.

Kelly, Jack (July 6, 2007). "Tale of two atrocities: Iraq reporting rife with errors". Bucks County Courier Times: p. A5.