"The first casualty of war is truth. Disinformation and tactical ruses of war have constituted essential components of warfare throughout history. Over time, influencing public opinion - and consequentially securing the prime position to exert such influence - has become ever more significant. In modern armed conflicts various stakeholders compete to communicate their truth. Attempts to instrumentalize journalists, to get a hold on certain information, to censor and erase some, and to promote the distribution of other information constitute the rule rather than the exception. Evidently, accurate and impartial reports conveyed from war zones have become ever more important; they constitute "a fundamental component in establishing historical truths and allowing post-war reconciliation." At the same time, quantum leaps in information technology have facilitated the outreach of the media to military operations even in the most remote corners of the world from where information can nowadays be broadcasted virtually in real-time. Evidently, journalists - and more generally media professionals - play a crucial role as the messengers and shapers of information. The risks they run in the performance of their profession are accordingly high. Images and news can be decisive for the outcome of a conflict and deliberate interference with journalistic work is frequent and increasing." (Abstract)