In the Christian Science Monitor, and syndicated in papers throughout the country, journalist Jill Carroll writes about being held hostage in Iraq earlier this year. Carroll was freelancing for the Monitor in Baghdad, and in the first installment of a multi-part story, she tells of her kidnapping. Peter Grier, in alternating sections, writes about her family and colleagues' concurrent experiences.

Following Carroll's abduction, in an attempt to increase its influence in bringing her home, the Monitor made her a full-time staffer. Freelancers Union applauded the paper's decision to extend any protections it was able to offer, including health insurance.

Related: A June 2006 piece from U.S. News & World Report on freelance journalists in Iraq argues that news organizations' reluctance to support non-embedded journalists--especially freelancers--is hurting coverage.