Two more correspondents, Ingrid Melander and Daria Sito-Sucic, leave Reuters

Ingrid Melander in Paris and Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo are the latest correspondents to announce their departure from Reuters, with both expressing their pride at decades of working for the agency.  

Melander, who joined 20 years ago and has been lead writer for France and Benelux for the last five years, was Spain Bureau Chief for three years before that and also had assignments in Greece, Belgium and London.

“Working with smart, inquisitive, rebellious colleagues - reporters, deskers, in IT or in one of Reuters’ many other roles - has been the best part of the job, together with the sweet rush of adrenaline of being first on a story,” she said in a farewell message of thanks to “such great colleagues”.

Sito-Sucic has reported from Bosnia and the wider Balkans for nearly 30 years.

She said: “Reporting for the world largest news agency has been a challenge but also the source of enormous pride, and I treasure everything that I have learned from my senior colleagues and editors during turbulent times of Bosnia's postwar recovery, when we reported about war criminals, mass graves and victims.”

Melander said three years in Athens during the Greek debt crisis were possibly the “most intense and craziest of my life” adding that she survived only thanks to great teamwork, which was also vital with staff in France, Belgium and the Netherlands during her final Reuters role in Paris.

“For sure, there were difficult moments too. And, from the bottom of my heart, I wish you all to stay safe and continue to do this essential work the best you can, despite all the challenges and pressures. But as I leave, I know how lucky I’ve been to be part of the Baron’s team,” she wrote.

She said she was looking forward to moving on to new adventures but gave no details.

 Sito-Sucic said :”I know that Reuters will keep up with its reputation of unbiased reporting and remain the most reliable source of information for me.” But she said she deserved a pause from the hectic world of news and planned more quiet days.

Last week Tim Cocks in Johannesburg told colleagues he was leaving after two decades mostly reporting from Africa.

Colleagues still at Reuters have expressed concern at the rate of attrition among seasoned international reporters over recent years. 

  ■