A senior CBS correspondent is recovering in hospital in the US after she was beaten and sexually assaulted by a mob while covering the Egyptian protests, the US network says.

It says the attack occurred on Friday in Cairo's packed Tahrir Square after President Hosni Mubarak stepped down.

Ms Logan became separated from her crew and was rescued by women and soldiers.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has said 52 journalists were assaulted and 76 detained during events in Egypt.

The New York-based group said all of them had since been released.

'Courageous reporter'

In a statement, CBS said that Ms Logan and her team became "surrounded by a dangerous element amidst the celebration" with a mob of more than 200 people "whipped into a frenzy".

It said Ms Logan was recovering following what it described as "a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating".

A group of women and an estimated 20 soldiers managed to save her after she became separated from her colleagues and security, it added.

The 39-year-old South African returned to the US on Saturday.

Ms Logan is CBS News' chief foreign affairs correspondent and has reported from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the attack was "alarming", describing Ms Logan as a "brilliant, courageous, and committed reporter".

In its annual report issued on Tuesday, the CPJ said Pakistan was the deadliest country for journalists in 2010, with 8 killed while doing their job, out of 44 worldwide.

The number of jailed reporters was 145, an increase from previous years.

Does anyone know who supplies CBS with their security?!

Bet they're not feeling so hot right now..

Just goes to highlight the level of complacency that people can get to.. a lot of those journalists were swanning about like they were at some New Years celebration or something. 

From the BBC - 

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that 44 journalists were killed in 2010. In addition, 145 were imprisoned - the highest number since 1996.

Joel Simon, executive director of CPJ, says the increasing dangers to journalists are in part because of the changing way the media does its business.

News organisations have faced dramatically reduced budgets in recent years, with many cutting foreign bureaux and instead relying on stringers and freelances.

At the same time, more journalism is being done by bloggers and citizen journalists.

These reporters, like freelances, have less institutional support. They often work entirely alone, with little or no safety training.

They don't have editors checking in on their movements regularly. And many are more opinionated than traditional reporters, raising the ire of dangerous types.

"The internet has changed the rules of the game," Mr Simon told the BBC.

"Journalists were once the only way rebels and militants could get their message out, so journalists were cultivated even by nasty individuals and groups."

Now, dissidents and terrorists alike can use chatrooms, websites and social media to communicate. They're in control of their own message.

"Journalists have become dispensable," Mr Simon says soberly.

There's a good story about this in the Mail today if anyone's interested - 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1358763/LIZ-JONES-Lara-Logan-terrifying-reminder-world-haven-t-painted-pink.html