'New York Times' Says Four Of Its Journalists Are Missing In Libya

The New York Times just reported that four of its journalists haven't been heard from since Tuesday morning (in the U.S.).

And, the Times' Media Decoder blog writes, "the paper said it had received second-hand reports that members of its reporting team on the ground in the port city of Ajdabiya had been swept up by Libyan government forces."

Ajdabiya is among the cities in eastern Libya that have come under attack by forces loyal to Col. Moammar Gadhafi as he fights to take back territory won by opposition fighters in recent weeks.

Times Executive Editor Bill Keller is quoted as saying "we have talked with officials of the Libyan government in Tripoli, and they tell us they are attempting to ascertain the whereabouts of our journalists. We are grateful to the Libyan government for their assurance that if our journalists were captured they would be released promptly and unharmed."

Media Decoder says "the missing journalists are Anthony Shadid, the Beirut bureau chief and twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize for foreign reporting; Stephen Farrell, a reporter and videographer who was kidnapped by the Taliban in 2009 and rescued by British commandos; and two photographers, Tyler Hicks and Lynsey Addario, who have worked extensively in the Middle East and Africa."

Update at 1:55 p.m. ET: Shadid was a guest on Fresh Air last September.