We’re In A War - Where Are The Media?

[babylonsister]

We’re In A War - Where Are The Media?
by Joan Vennochi


The real news of April played second fiddle to the presidential campaign, the pope’s visit to America, and the Texas polygamy case.

The death toll for the US military in Iraq hit 49 in April, making it the deadliest month since September, according to the Associated Press. Around Iraq, at least 1,080 Iraqi civilians and security personnel were killed last month, an average of 36 a day, according to the AP tally. While that’s down from March’s total of 1,269, or an average of 41 per day, those casualties certainly don’t add up to a stable Iraq.

But Iraq isn’t getting the prominent play of other news topics. The latest statistics from the Project for Excellence in Journalism back up the conclusion that coverage of the Iraq war is on the decline.

The Washington-based research organization studied roughly 1,300 stories from 48 news outlets during the month of April. The group’s analysis found that during that time frame, the top news story was the presidential campaign, which accounted for 33 percent of news coverage. The economy came in second, accounting for 6 percent. The pope’s visit accounted for 4 percent of the coverage, and the Texas polygamy case garnered another 4 percent.

Even as violence in Iraq increased, events on the ground in Iraq accounted for only 3 percent of news coverage, and the Iraq policy debate accounted for another 3 percent.

more...

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/04/8708/

[annabanana]

1. shh-h-h-h.. (the surge has to "work" a little longer). . . . . .n/t

[OwnedByFerrets]

2. Wait till a democratic president.......

then you will see it running 24/7 and the democratic president being blamed for it.

[saigon68]

3. They had a Big special on NBC tonight about Brittany and Paris

They showed them not wearing any under wear and they had their Naked Crotches covered with Stars

Thats where the Media IS !!!

[ShockediSay]

4. MSM wants from the governmentcorners on media markets.

Fughettabout journalism and keeping government honest.

[DaveT]

5. Of course, the MSM goes by what everybody knows

and everybody knows that the surge "worked." Even the print stories that describe the fiasco in Basra and the civil war in Sadr City mention the "fact" that the surge improved security -- and this current blip in violence is threatening to reverse those gains.

The established "fact" of the surge's success does not include any reference to the bribes paid the Sunni warlords or the truce called by Moqtada al Sadr.




There is a very simple remedy to all this bullshit. Quit paying attention to it. In point of fact both TV and newspaper "journalism" are losing customers at a steady rate, and have been doing so for years. In another decade, the MSN as we know it today will go the way of the Movie Theater Newsreel.