BREAKING NEWS

Photojournalists killed, gravely wounded in Libya

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By Joe Pompeo  – Wed Apr 20, 12:26 pm ET

Vanity Fair confirmed a little after 1:30 p.m. on Twitter Wednesday that one of its contributing photographers, Tim Hetherington (pictured above), has died while covering the conflict in Libya. Hetherington was a renowned British-American photojournalist and the Oscar-nominated director, with Sebastian Junger, of "Restrepo," a 2010 documentary about a year spent on assignment for Vanity Fair in Afghanistan.

The New York Times' C.J. Chivers, who is stationed in Libya, reported the news shortly thereafter, confirming that three other photographers were wounded: "The wounds to two of the photographers -- Chris Hondros and Guy Martin -- were grave, according to a colleague at the triage center where they were being treated Wednesday night. Their prospects for survival were not immediately clear." Hondros was on assignment for Getty. The fourth photographer, Michael Christopher Brown, reportedly suffered shrapnel injuries.

In the breathless rush to break the news, bloggers and tweeters reported without confirmation that both Hetherington and Hondros had been killed. The early reports originated from the Facebook page of a fellow photographer in Libya, Andre Liohn. Major news organizations held off reporting names until details could be confirmed and families notified.

"BBC can confirm one western journalist has been killed and three injured in a mortar attack in city of #Benghazi #libya," the British news agency tweeted.

"The Associated Press is investigating reports that four foreign photojournalists have been wounded in fighting in Misrata, Libya, and at least one is believed to have died," read an advisory sent to the wire's member editors. "The AP will expedite a story as soon as we obtain confirmation from credible sources, pending notification of family."

A call to the Middle East and North Africa program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, which has been tracking violence against reporters in Libya and elsewhere in the region, was not returned.

There are currently dozens of journalists covering the escalating conflict in Libya. Many are reporting on the fighting from a distance in the nation's capital city, Tripoli, where their movements and access are closely controlled by state handlers. Others have been covering the war from the frontlines, where the situation is far more dangerous.

Previously, there had been one confirmed death of a journalist in Libya, a cameraman for Al Jazeera, since the eruption of the tumult several months ago. But a number of Western journalists have been swept up and detained by forces loyal to dictator Muammar Gadhafi. Several remain in custody.

[Ed.