Editorial: Media silence

If you missed the news last week, the United Nations counted 1057 violent deaths in Iraq last month, a monthly total not seen since 2008.   As violence continues to worsen in Iraq, the Brookings Institute.  Kenneth M. Pollack offered (PDF format warning) "The Fall and Rise and Fall of Iraq" last week.

But what did the US media offer?


Not much.

In fact, you can see Friday's second hour of The Diane Rehm Show of the sort of 'coverage' of Iraq we're supposed to be grateful.

Diane Rehm:  And in Iraq a wave of car bombs, Elise?


Elise Labott:  A wave of car bombs really raising fears that the sectarian strife that you saw five years ago after the U.S. invasion is really returning. There have been over the last week more than a dozen explosions. July was the deadliest month since 2007, over 1,000 killed, spiked during Ramadan. And all part of this, al-Qaida in Iraq is claiming responsibility for a lot of them, but it's really to sow up, you know, hatred against the Shia-lead government and more bloodshed between Sunni and Shia. 

Diane Rehm:  And let's go back to the phones to Little Rock, Ark. Hi there. Rod.

The entire 'coverage' of Iraq lasted less then 50 seconds.  In one hour of commercial free, public radio, as Iraq descends into ever more violence, we're supposed to be grateful with 50 lousy seconds.

That's disgusting.

Last week, The Voice of Russia's Rob Sachs spoke with Michael O'Brien about the violence and, at the end of the interview, a point was made that really applies:

 At this point, ten years out, Americans are tired of hearing about violence in Iraq, tired of hearing about efforts to stop it, but why should average Americans care at this point?

Well, you know, that's a real good question. Average Americans probably don't, but if you are an American that believes in right and wrong, if you're an American that believes in consequences, if you're an American that believes in the Constitution and also strictly focused on the defense of our country, then you'd be an American that would be going, "Why did we go over there in 03?" And you'd be an American that would be saying not only that, but "No one has been held accountable for us going there." And I'm talking about American leadership.

But questions like that are not answered or even asked when Iraq remains the topic the US media won't address.




Oh, yeah, and protests.  Above is 2011.  It's feeling a lot like 2011 in Iraq.  Friday, saw peaceful Baghdad protesters yet again targeted with beatings and arrests.

And where's the media?