Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Thom Hartmann: Why the Media isn't Talking about the War...

You need to know this. A new study by the Pew Research Center may explain why outrage isn't growing around the country over the unpopular war in Afghanistan. Simply - the media is not talking about it. This year - Afghanistan surpassed Vietnam as the longest military engagement in American history. It was also the bloodiest year on record in the 9-year war. In great detail - a release of wikileaks cables illuminated the conflict for Americans to see the brutality clearer. And - a strategy review released by President Obama stated the US military will likely be involved in the country for at least another 4 years. Yet - according to the new Pew study - the American media has only devoted 4% of it's coverage to Afghanistan. The war costs taxpayers more than $160 billion a year - but it's not even talked about in the public sphere - even in terms of deficit reduction - which has been a hot-button topic all year. Media outlets claim the story of the war simply doesn't interest people - so they don't cover it. And therein lies the problem with our news media - instead of reporting the news we NEED to know - they report what we WANT to know like partisan politics - or the royal wedding - or bed bugs. Ending this war is one of the greatest challenges facing all of us right now. Unfortunately - Americans can't take a stand against the war if corporations who own our news media - and have interlocking boards of directors or company divisions in the defense industry - won't cover it.

-Thom

(How can we end the Afghanistan war? Tell us here.)

No comments: