Being a journalist in Iraq is more dangerous now than it was two years ago, National Public Radio foreign correspondent Anne Garrels said during a forum for Medill freshmen Sunday.

“There is still a story to be told,” Garrels said, speaking at the McCormick Tribune Center about her experiences reporting in Baghdad. “We’ve never been in a situation like this before. When it got bad, we pulled out, but in this situation, with 135,000 American troops, we’ve never had such an investment.”

Medill faculty members invited Garrels to speak after faculty decided to require incoming freshmen to read her book over the summer.

Garrels’ “Naked in Baghdad,” describes her time in Iraq prior to the war and her experience as one of 16 non-embedded American journalists who remained there through Baghdad’s liberation in April 2003.

“This has never been done before,” said Michele Bitoun, an assistant dean of undergraduate studies at Medill, referring to the freshman reading requirement. “Some other universities have launched similar programs. We want to bring freshmen together through this program.”

Sunday’s program began by separating students into small groups to role play as foreign correspondents in Iraq at a time when extremists and U.S. Marines exchange fire. Students discussed the questions they were posed in the scenario with Garrels, who will be returning to Iraq in the coming weeks to continue reporting.

Garrels emphasized the increasing dangers that she said she feels are present in Iraq, despite the removal of Saddam Hussein.

“There are some places that you just cannot go,” Garrels said.

“No story is worth dying for,” she continued. “A dead journalist is a useless journalist.”

But Garrels also described the new freedom in Iraq she has witnessed. She now can hire her own staff of Iraqi translators rather than having it appointed to her, she said.

“The translator I would have had under Saddam was a pain,” Garrels said.

Garrels enumerated endless risks involved in the field of journalism, but still expressed pride for NPR and her work.

“You can’t be ambivalent about your job,” Garrels said. “You’ve got to love it.”

After the discussion, Garrels signed copies of her book and offered words of inspiration to the aspiring journalists.

“I loved what she said about finding your passion and doing what interests you,” said Medill freshman Senka Hadzimuratovic. “It’s nice to know that we don’t have to know what we’re going to do and to explore.”

Reach Laura Olson at [email protected].