After Five Years, Iraq War Coverage Down Sharply

By newsdesk - Posted on March 18th, 2008

Iraq Vets Plead for More Coverage of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; Five Years into the Iraq War, Few Americans Even Know the Death Toll

March 18, 2008 -- NEW YORK - On the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation's first and largest non-partisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is calling on the press to report on the current conflicts more thoroughly. Coverage of the wars has dropped sharply in recent months. According to the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, just 3% of February's news stories focused on the wars, as compared to 15% in July 2007.

"The media must demonstrate that they can walk and chew gum at the same time," said Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "The economy and the presidential campaigns are obviously important stories, but it's inexcusable to let coverage of the ongoing wars simply fall by the wayside."

As a result of the waning media coverage, fewer Americans are aware of the tremendous sacrifices U.S. troops and their families are making. The Pew Research Center also recently found that just 28% of Americans know that nearly 4,000 U.S. servicemembers have died in the Iraq war. This marks a precipitous drop from August 2007, when more than half of the country was able to correctly identify the death toll.

"Over 80% of Americans are aware that Oprah Winfrey endorsed Senator Obama, yet only 28% know how many troops have died in Iraq. This news is a slap in the face to everyone who has served in the current conflicts," said Rieckhoff. "Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America calls on the media to report more thoroughly on the current conflicts and the issues facing veterans. The unprecedented detachment between the American public and the men and women at war makes the media's coverage of the conflicts more vital than ever."

Source: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

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