In Week Of Iraq War Anniversary, Obama's Race Speech Dominated Media Coverage

Last week was a big one for news: On Monday, the markets opened to news that Bear Stearns had collapsed and was being bought out by JP Morgan; on Tuesday, Barack Obama delivered a speech about race in America; on Wednesday it was the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War. A big week, but according to Mark Jurkowitz of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, one clear winner: "It was, to put it simply, the week of 'the speech.'"

According to Jurkowitz, the 37-minute address "dominated" last week's campaign coverage and was the overall newmaker of the week. Obama was a "sinificant or dominant factor in 72% of the campaign stories" with Hillary Clinton at 30% and John McCain at 17%. Since the campaign filled 39% of the newshole, that means stories about Obama constituted approximately 28% of the total newshole. The economy was next at 16%, followed by the Iraq War at 10% (per PEJ, Iraq Policy Debate - 5%; Events in Iraq - 3%; Iraq Homefront - 2%). The China-Tibet protests came in at 5% and the midwest storms at 4%.

The Pastor, The Candidate, And The Speech Lead The News [Journalism.org]

Comments

[rbdc]

If the media aren't reporting about the Iraq war, it's probably because the people aren't so interested anymore. Why?
1. No draft. For many of us, the war is being fought by other people's children; our families aren't immediately threatened.
2. Not being paid for in real time, to be paid for by later generations. Again, no apparent immediate effect on us.
3. The relationship between the war and the economy is oblique and somewhat unclear.
4. The reporting does become repetetive. Fill in the blanks: (2,3,4,5) American GIs killed by a (roadside bomb, IED, helicopter crash).

Although I would hate a draft as much as anyone, perhaps if we had one, and perhaps if it were a requirement that a good portion of the cost of a war be paid for in real time, stupid old men would have to think a bit more before starting stupid wars.

[EBennett]

The media are too busy cheerleading for Obama to report on Iraq. Completely off topic - has anyone seen Michelle Obama in the last 3 or 4 weeks? She seems to have disappeared. Not that I'm complaining.

[mawrm]

Well, what's new? A pointless bitch-fest by media about what an "unpatriotic" pastor said 6 plus years ago is more important than 4000 Americans losing their lives yesterday in a pointless war. It's like the same hypocrisy of all these pro-life "Christians" adamantly supporting war in Iraq. It's about bashing the weaker person to claim some bizarre moral superiority, we're all for it, but if it's about intelligently looking at ourselves and our actions, oohhh nnoooo- next story please.

[RButler]

Oops. That should be point blank. Now, don't go crazy. I'm not a good typer.

[RButler]

Obama says 'race is an issue that cannot be ignored' and that he wants to start an open discussion about it.
First. He ignored it for over a year before he was forced to give that speech.
Second. I doubt if he really wants an open discussion about race and I'll bet that this is the last time he talks about it himself unless asked point black. That's what makes him a phony. He wants his speech to put the discussion to rest so he can 'move on'.

[dadw5boys]

I prayed for our Soldiers in the field and those about to go. I do that every morning and evening but I have not been heard yet.
I prayed that our Military Leaders would stand up and tell this Adminstration they would no longer be a party to this illegal war in Iraq.

I don
t think most Americans think about the war as much the price to fill their gas tanks

[lainey]

This election, in my mind, is about war---our willingness to go when so many elected officials failed to read the NIE, the lives of 4,000 brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers now deceased, and the fact that there will never be a military solution to terrorism--- and therefore does warrant so much more coverage. When I was doing voter registration, I found that most people agree with me. When we put all of our own issues aside, and as Americans we often do that, we see that at the core is who took us to war, why and who authorized it. Coverage of the war should be daily and on-going. With 24-hour coverage on cable, there is no good reason why there isn't more coverage. The truth is, the media spent more on Rev. Wright than it gives the soldiers and Marines who have sacrificed everyday for five years so that we can watch the tv. Our petty focus on words when people are dying is ridiculous and embarrassing.
There are two wars going on and no media outlet seems to care. The people of America care, so please, be decent and cover it as such.

[joebaggadonuts]

Words mean nothing I guess. Heh.

[sammy333]

Understandable. Giving that the Media was the biggest help in propagating the pre-war lies and starting this war, that the Media was supporting the war and carefully sugar-coating the economic consequences of the war for the last 5 years.

As far as Obama, the only image of him you can see on CNN is next to J. Wright.