Word today that all three major networks are pulling correspondents out of Iraq and shifting them to the “new hotspot” in Afghanistan.
Of course, the Iraq war has evolved and violence in the country has subsided. At the same time, President-elect Barack Obama and senior military strategists generally agree that tensions have risen in Afghanistan, leading to more violence and unrest.
In short, the story, certainly on television, is shifting to Afghanistan.
We saw what happened to public knowledge about the Afghanistan war when we invaded Iraq in 2003 is it too much to expect the public to forget about Iraq in a few years? It is tremendously irresponsible for the media to choose between covering one war or the other. It was irresponsible to forget Afghanistan in 2003 and it’s irresponsible to forget Iraq now. This proves to me that the media does not prioritize actual journalism and coverage, but rather works toward creating the most interesting and topical situation out there. Seems as though they are taking the attitude of “Yeah, the U.S. is in Iraq, but it’s been there for 5 years and frankly, we’re bored with that. We need something new and exciting.” This all reaffirms the often used saying that the media takes what is interesting and makes it news instead of taking the news and making it interesting.