CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- As one of the millions of television viewers glued to his screen trying to keep pace with the overwhelming flow of international news, I often find myself pondering the pluses and minuses of present-day advances in computers, electronics and information technology. The other day I happened be in such a philosophical mood when my eye caught the letter from a Japanese reader wondering whether our current enthusiasm for cell phones signifies in reality a disturbing inability "to develop close ties with others in conventional ways."

Indeed a pertinent point, but I would prefer to direct the question to the way today's international media giants, such as CNN and the BBC, report the news.

I would like to stress from the outset that we should certainly appreciate the sacrifices made by the scores of far-flung correspondents who expose themselves to strain and danger. It is one thing to watch news bulletins from our armchairs, and quite another to rush to a high-risk area to follow or accompany a moving army column. The dedication with which these journalists toil in harsh and perilous environments so that their channels can bring "the story," with a formerly unimaginable immediacy, is indisputably praiseworthy.