The Edelman PR firm's annual eight country survey found that "pressure groups and charities have overtaken governments, media and big businesses to become the world's most trusted institutions." The trend was most pronounced in the United States, where trust in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) climbed 20 percent since 2001.

"Most Western reporters have determined that their only option is to turn to the U.S. and British embassies for transportation help," writes the Los Angeles Times' Alissa Rubin from Iraq. "The embassies, with the power to commandeer military helicopters, armed with gunners and personal security details, allow journalists to leapfrog the ring of danger around Baghdad and visit the rest of the country. ... But with the mobility come some hindrances.