Covering Syria: why reporters don't need to be in the field anymore

Since US and UK reporters confine their work on Syria to skyping with names provided to them by clients of Saudi Arabia or Hairiri family (folks of the Syrian National Council), why should reporters go overseas anymore?  I mean, really.  If Anne Barnard and others to be fair simply skype with "sources" in Syria, they may do that here in the US.  And that can save money for the papers.