Ashamed at the priorities of our country

[Ava]

How ashamed does this make you? Only 28 percent of Americans know that nearly 4,000 U.S. troops have been killed according to an opinion survey released yesterday. The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press survey found that public awareness of developments in the Iraq war has dropped since last summer, as the news media have paid less attention to the conflict. Earlier surveys showed that about half of those asked about the death tally responded correctly. Do we have our priorities mixed up and flat out wrong or what?

The death of actor Heath Ledger is more of interest to the public according to the survey. 12 percent of those surveyed said they were most closely following the Ledger's death, while in contrast, only 6 percent said they were most closely following coverage of Iraq.

From the Washington Post:
Related Pew surveys have found that the number of news stories devoted to the war has sharply declined this year, along with professed public interest. "Coverage of the war has been virtually absent," said Pew survey research director Scott Keeter, totaling about 1 percent of the news hole between Feb. 17 and 23.

The Iraq-associated median for 2007, he said, was 15 percent of all news stories, with major spikes when President Bush announced a "surge" in forces in January of that year and when Gen. David H. Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, testified before Congress in September.

"We try not to make any causal statements about the relationship between the absence of news and what the public knows," Keeter said. "But there's certainly a correlation between the two. People are not seeing news about fatalities, and there isn't much in the news about the war, whether it be military action or even political discussion related to it."

[chknltl]

1. Worse...how many even care about the plight of the Iraqi civilians?

?

[justinsb]

2. You think that's something

What interests me the most is the effect on Iraq - the millions of Iraqi's killed, woulded and displaced the destruction of Iraqs water and electric systems, massive death, disease, and distruction ALL of which falls on the sholders of the United States

[bryant69]

3. The problem is that people like novelty in their news

That Stalin quote applies - Soldiers die every couple of days in Iraq - sometimes several at a time, and yet most of those stories read pretty much the same.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[babylonsister]

4. This is more the result of the priorities of the corporate media.

That's how most people get their news, newspapers or tee vee. The media is setting the agenda; don't know if anyone can blame the whole country for that.

[Supersedeas]

5. also a reflection of Media priorities and the advertisers that pay Media bills

[Rhiannon12866]

6. K&R. This totally boggles the mind, but I hold the MSM largely responsible.

They just give it the briefest mention when another soldier dies in Iraq, while they dwell on the latest antics of some celebrity, most of whom I've never even heard of.:-(

[hfojvt]

7. the M$M cannot be blamed for everything

not when you see the same thing happening democratically in GD. Look at the front page of GD - many threads about Spitzer and about prostitution, a thread about a woman stuck to a toilet seat, a thread about a man forcing his daughter to kill the pet cat, and so on. GD typically follows the M$M's issue du jour, which is now Spitzer but the M$M is not forcing this to happen. People here COULD start, kick and reply to more substantive issues, but very often do not.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. Oh, I absolutely agree. But the MSM is driving the news that's reported,

which DUers naturally react to and comment on. And, as for the presidential race, the MSM effectively sidelined Dennis Kucinich by barring him from participating in debates and not reporting on his campaign, and then they did the same thing to John Edwards. As far as they were concerned, this race was between Hillary and Obama, and now it is... ;(

[bdamomma]

9. Ava, it is despicable that so many people have their head

in the sand, but the cold true fact is "if it's not happening in our own backyard", why care, sorry to be so blunt.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. People aren't concerned when it doesn't affect them personally.

I wish that I could remember the exact quote, but Bill Maher stated it well. The Iraq war has now become just background noise, more soldiers killed, more bombings, blah, blah, blah. Those in harm's way are no longer names and faces, so it's easier to ignore. ;(

[bdamomma]

11. very sad, but then again, this also is a non subject in the media.

not like the Vietnam War which was televised each and every night. Very sad indeed. :-(

[Rhiannon12866]

12. Remember, at the start of the Iraq war, CNN had their "Bravest Wall,"

With the pix and stories of those who were lost? What happened to that? The media would rather report on scandals and celebrity news, these days. I agree, very sad...;(