Five Years of the War in Iraq: Where's the Media Coverage?

This week marks the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, but you wouldn't know it from what you see on TV.

With all the scandal-mongering coverage of the Democratic primary, the media's been too busy to spend much time talking about the two wars we're still fighting. In fact, just 3% of the news in February was dedicated to the war. That's down from 15% of news coverage last July. For the men and women risking their lives overseas, that's a slap in the face.

And it's skewing Americans' perceptions of the war. Over 80% of Americans are aware that Oprah Winfrey endorsed Senator Obama, yet only 28% know how many American troops have died in Iraq. That's less than one in three Americans. For any readers who aren't sure, the casualty number is about to hit 4,000. You can see the names and faces of these brave men and women here.

Most Americans will say that it's the very least we can do is take the time to honor their sacrifice. But how can we, as Americans, claim to be honoring their sacrifice if the average American can't even measure it?

We can do better.

I know it's an election year, and that the economy is in trouble. I know that it's easier to endlessly replay the latest gaffe from a candidate than to take your camera outside the Green Zone. But news of the ongoing wars shouldn't fall by the wayside.

You can help remind them. Please take a minute now to sign an open letter and demand the major networks increase their coverage of the Iraq war.

The media must demonstrate that they can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Read more HuffPost coverage and reaction to the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq

Comments

[janeb]

I'll tell you where the media coverage is. It is on Jeremiah Wright. You know, something important! Who cares about soldiers dying, or trillions of dollars being wasted for no reason?

[wolf58]

Sorry Paul the media don't care about the war or the troops. Today MSNBC decided that Clinton Affair is once again news worthy, or flood in the mid west, whores, local murder, and the rest of the tabold crap that for the most part should be in a supermarket rag. CNN isn't much better and FOX, well fuck fox someone from EOD should deal with them. Even here on Huffpo not much coverage. Bush lied his ass off yesterday and yet no one calls him on it. 3992 have died in Iraq and who feels for them and their families? Not Bush/Cheney and of course not the media, not enough sex, scandal, for them. Just us and our friends.

[lainey]

Thank you for reminding our media and our citizens that there are two wars going on; it is sad to note that our President barely acknowledged the war in Afghanistan yesterday, (most likely because his original intent was to get to Iraq). The soldiers and Marines, both young and old, should be honored each day in not only our papers and networks, but also in our homes, our schools, our places of worship-everywhere. If we did so, we might find the realities too great to ignore...the US entered Iraq under false pretenses, our elected officials so easily gave the President the green light to do so, one candidate running as a Democrat failed to read the NIE, (yet says she has better foreign policy credentials than the other), the Republican candidate promises "50 more years", and one strong Democrat eloquently detailed that an invasion of Iraq would strike a fatal blow to lives, treasure and reputation. If we took the time to see the names and the faces as Jim Lehrer shows us each night, we might come to realize that it could one day be OUR brother, sister, friend, husband, uncle, aunt, mother or father; for these wars could be endless. That is, if we let it. The story of today and everyday IS the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bring them home safely...

[provoice]

Few things have amazed me more than seeing the poll figures that indicated that Americans are more concerned about the state of the economy than they are the war in Iraq.

Of course Bush and his Propaganda Pals in the corporate-controlled media have very carefully limited what can be shown on TV news or the front pages of our newspapers. No flag-draped coffins coming home.. minimum coverage of the soldiers coming home missing limbs or mentally damaged by their experiences... military officers forbidden from discussing rapid deployment of specially-built bomb-resistant vehicles... and bald-faced lies about how many people who were tortured and by whom...

Meanwhile, our economy is crumbling from the wasteful spending in Iraq that has continued unabated for over five years... ridiculous trade policies... and the precipitous drop in the value of the American dollar on the world market.

Bush and Company have pushed America to the brink of disaster and we are just holding on to the ledge with the very tips of our fingers... and Bush's Propaganda Pals want us to let McCain continue Bush's policies???

If McCain is elected, I wouldn't be surprised to see some patriot burn Fox News to the ground.

[afrozashrafi]

I dont understand how there will be a possibility of adequate media attention given to the cries of death whether it is iraqi or American . The day the war was imposed on a country governed by the idiosyncracies of its own dictators was more than clear that there would be bloodbath and intimidating destructions . Those killed during the war went unsung and unlamented on both sides and those responsible for the deaths and destructions were busy celebrating the so called fall of the dictatorial regime under a mistaken notion that Iraq has been freed from the trauma of oppression , but what the perpetrators of war did not realise was , the post war situation will be more difficult to manage and it would be infested with the remains of a tormented conscience and will have nothing to lose save strife , civil war and the suicide bombing so typical of the iraqi modus operandi to keep the imported army on a tight leash .
The problem with the nation having launched the illegitimate tirade is that they cant even make the death toll public being wary of the reactions backhome . If America is involved in the so called restoration of democracy in Iraq , it has to pay a price and the conspiratorial adventurism demands its own pound of flesh . The rulers are not sensitive to the sufferings of those sent to toil it out and bear the brunt of daily violence . The news reads every day , twenty killed in a blast near Bhagdad , fifty died in Basra in a suicide attack and so on and so forth . Who knows the identity of those killed and who is interested in calculating the losses incurred by both the countries . No body would have imagined that that the ghost of Saddam would keep the American forces at bay . The violence is on the rise , the kurdish has its own share of grudges and the Saddam loyalists are there in bits and pieces to keep the flame of protest burning . In the face of all these it is really difficult to keep count of the casaulties on both sides . Iraq will not rest untill the land is restored to the people it belongs . If you play a foul game then better be prepared to face the music.

[jbd]

There has been no mention of the 'Winter Soldier' event that went on this weekend. Go to Democracynow.org and check out today's soldier testimonies. One of the most arrogant American attitudes of this war has been the failure to recognize the suffering of the Iraqi people that we have caused. Everything is always about the impact on our soldiers. These people did not ask for this. Any American would have resisted an occupying army of our country and the Iraqi's are always portrayed as the 'bad guys'. Once Bush/Cheney unleashed the Dogs of War, every person that died from that point on, on both sides is their responsibility. The ones blown to pieces by cruise missles trying to get Saddam, shot in their houses and yards, shot in their cars, blown up at the market, shot in firefights, killed by smart bombs, blow up by IED's, killed in copter crashes, accidents, sniper attacks, reprisal killings, suicides,and by torture on both sides. I'm not a my country right or wrong type of guy. This really is a horrible foriegn policy blunder, that is a stain on our country. There was never a doubt that Saddam's military would have to fold or be annihilated where they stood. To think that there was no plan for what happened next is mind boggleing. How could they have allowed Bremmer to disband the Iraqi Army, which seems to be a decsion made on a whim? How could we have let these fools run this country for 8 years? I hope all our soldiers can find the mental strength to get through the hard times, and find a life that is rewarding when they get out or this war finally ends. Maybe this group of Veterans could get politically active so that this doesn't happen again.

[cct1984]

Oh come on Paul!! Stop being so naïve, you know as well as I do that the reason the media is ignoring the war is because things have improved--not enough blood and guts in the streets to make it worth their while to report. Dead Americans is news, progress is not--that"s the way of things.

[fortuna]

We don't have journalism anymore (with the rare exception of a Keith Olbermann). It's all infotainment now, dumbed down to the lowest common denominator with pretty people reading from teleprompters. Until that changes, the coverage won't change. You could lose a battalion in Iraq in one day, but if another Anna Nicole Smith-type died, you would be hard pressed to find coverage of the story in Iraq.

With that said, I thank you for your service and it will be an honor to sign your open letter.

[fortuna]

I signed the letter and sent the link to a good friend of mine who is a Vietnam vet. I hope we can make a difference.

[deminmo]

The reaction to 9/11 peaked about a year after the
event. The 5th year anniversary of the occupation of
Iraq really isn't on the minds of most people. In fact
I doubt most people could have given the year it started
if asked.
Only if something really big happens, will it come
back as a news story. Scary, huh?

[Jame01958]

This war would still be on everybody's mind if the
draft and the draft lottery had been instituted from the beginning. And yet maybe not even authorized because of the draft and public pressure against the draft.
Instead, too many people take on the attitude, oh, well they enlisted on their own right?
They're ROTC, right? Oh, their doing their patriotic duty right?
If the public knew from the beginning that we had been lied too, and could see the body bags, coffins and direct news coverage, NOT filtered news.If the public could see the millions of Iraqi's that are now refuggees, then maybe the public would be more tuned in. It's just somebody elses kid, wife, husband, friend, right?

[LastDaysCafe]

Wheres the media??? Hey the American Media is busy fullfilling its committment to Bush's take over of Iraq's Oil Wealth! Basically it was a partnership between pals - the American Media promised not to investigate or expose Bush's real,ulterior motives in Iraq and in return the American Media Conglomerates got some pay off "promises" and tax breaks plus a real nice pat on their heads from Bush & Cheney!

[fletch1031]

Mr. Rieckhoff, the mainstream media holds its audience in contempt. Can't sell cars and dish soap during war coverage.

[CountryOver]

America's REAL/true "you can't handle the truth!" monologue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np6_b-72H3E

[hoodrat]

You keep spittin' truth bro. I'm half Black and could give three shits about who's bumpin' who. Or what a Pastor said in a snappin' moment, or even how it effects White mens psyche. My other half is Hawaiian - but my blood runs green, as did my father and uncles, and their father. Our kids keep redeploying, fightin' not only the war, but the "Russian Roulette" game of how many ruck ups before I get wetted, fighting a war not meant to be won, but used for what war has almost always been fought for - plunder and land(or what's underneath). The post from Baretta is slightly wrong - 'cause you honor the living, by celebrating the sacrifice of those fallen. But it's more important to the vapid, to worry about McCartney and his ex., who got bumped by American Idol, whose feet tapped who who's. If they had a REAL reality show, like four hours of primetime TV, on all the "exciting" parts,(misunderstanding the fact that it's the "downtime", when you can think, is the real ordeal), of our war - they would've been home. Semper Fi

[Berettasskeeter]

I was slightly off in my wording. We should honor the dead. One of the ways we do this is by celebrating the living. Thanks for pointing out my deficiency. Typing too fast for my thoughts!
Semper fi

[hoodrat]

Bro., I knew what you were sayin', just like I know who's "rucked up" by their posts. No worries bro. : )

[KQuark]

Mr. Rieckhoff I have always valued the opinions of those who served on the ground in Iraq much more then our political leaders who have not sacrificed for our country. The lack of media coverage on the Iraq war is just as scandalous as the lack of opposition war coverage before going into the war. This media failing is giving the candidates who gave us this failed policy much more foreign policy credibility than they deserve. We should be talking about the reasons why John McCain is the only candidate left that is not committed to the new GI Bill instead of watching him play soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[paulrieckhoff]

I hear you. Great point about the GIB, KQuark. Call his office and ask why he is not yet on board. Thanks for the support.

[Berettasskeeter]

I disagree with your premise that we need to celebrate the dead. Leave them to their loved ones. Lets celebrate those who are still in the fight. Start demanding to hear the stories of bravery and heroism. Lets have parades to celebrate our heroes, and show the nation that our heroes are not the Loony Left, but the young men and women who put their lives on the line for their country.
Semper fi