TV reporters say public is sick of hearing about Iraq

[quaoar]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraqtv3jun03,1,17676,full.story?coll=la-headlines-world&ctrack=1&cset=true

TV Reporters Decry Drop in Iraq Coverage

The deaths of two CBS crew members have put the war back at the top of prime-time news, but journalists say they sense a growing apathy.

By James Rainey
Times Staff Writer

News of the bombing that felled a CBS news crew washed over Baghdad's tight-knit press corps like a tempest this week — evoking waves of anxiety, sadness, resolve and more than a little dismay.

American television journalists covering Iraq confronted the difficult reality that it took the deaths of a cameraman and soundman and critical injuries to correspondent Kimberly Dozier to help push Iraq back to the forefront of the nightly news back home.

By the end of April, the amount of time devoted to Iraq on the weeknight newscasts of the three major television networks had dropped nearly 60% from 2003, according to the independent Tyndall Report tracking service.

Even before Monday's attack in a relatively placid section of Baghdad, some network television correspondents had reached the unsettling conclusion that, even as they were risking their lives in the war zone, audiences and producers in America had grown weary of much of the coverage from Iraq.

[meegbear]

1. While I think people are weary of what's going on over there ...

I think that fact that when say, 5 solders are killed, it's reported as "Five soldiers were killed today ...." and that's it.

The journalists are hit and they cover this for days. I wish they would give the soldiers the same amount of coverage they do for themselves.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. The unbridled stupidity of that statement just jumps off the page

How in the hell would a teevee newzer know what the public is paying attention to? The ones over here are all wrapped up in the little studio coccoons. The producers get the say as to what we see. The producers are sensitive to ...... what? Us? Their bosses/masters? I suspect its whoever signs their fucking paychecks.

The country is desperate for news. Whether they want it or not, they need it.

Clown to media persons: DO YOUR FUCKING JOBS

[quaoar]

6. The reporters mentioned in the article

cover Iraq and are actually upset that there is not more coverage of the war.

[deutsey]

3. War's not so sexy once the jingoism fades, huh?

:evilfrown:

[Virginia Dare]

4. Yes, give us more hot blonde pedophiles...

give us more hot blonde missing girls.

give us more hot blonde murder victims.

:argh:

[quaoar]

7. Too bad for Iraq

that it isn't a nation of hot blondes.

[klook]

5. They need some kind of "Survivor" tie-in

or maybe an "American Idol in Iraq" with troops competing for recording contracts.

Or maybe--what the hell?--actual coverage of the war and its effects on Iraqis, Americans, and the rest of the world. Nahh--that'd never sell.

Ahh, for the good old days... :puke:

[Totally Committed]

8. Tough freaking nuts!

So, they should just stop reporting it???

Or maybe they should report it realistically, so they public will get on their elected officials to get the troops out, maybe? The public needs to get so fed up to the teeth with it that they turn on Bush and make him ditch Rumsfeld and pull the troops out NOW.

Or maybe they are just tired of having one of their own end up in intensive care with their crews dead?

Whatever... they need to keep slamming it home, whether or not the public wants to hear it, imo. It's the only way to bring the reality home. I think though, with this being floated, the networks are getting ready to latch onto another missing blonde any day now, so we should be prepared.

TC