AS WE prepare for beach vacations and blockbuster films, the American news media, too, has surrendered to the summer heat. While Coalition forces and Iraqi citizens contend with daily suicide bombings and terrorist attacks, news organizations supplant these trite occurrences with Michael Jackson's trial and the search for a summer vacationer in Aruba.
The summer forecast remains dreary for the struggling democracy in Iraq. In June, over 50 American soldiers were reported dead and there are no signs of a weakened insurgency. Terrorist bombings should not dodge the front page due to their regularity or monotony -- instead, these deadly attacks on American soldiers and civilians should head newscasts and raise questions about our military campaign in Iraq.
First, recent news reports from Iraq treat every insurgent attack as the same. Suicide bombers and terrorists, however, have different motives and achieve varied results. Some are directed at mosques or restaurants, some are aimed at Iraqi soldiers, some are targeted at American strongholds, and so on. News coverage should differentiate these types of attacks and present more in-depth accounts of the insurgency.
Further, the casualty numbers in Iraq do not seem to overtly concern the American media, especially cable news. Another car bombing with 50 deaths succumbs to coverage of one girl's life in Aruba and the Jackson verdict. We know Americans crave drama and celebrity gossip, but shouldn't we at least pretend to be informed about our troops' safety during wartime?
When suicide bombers target Coalition forces or Western hotels and restaurants, this is an attack on our peers. While we bask in the summer sun, every Iraqi citizen and every American soldier must fear his every step in this hostile environment.
Although many culturally aware activists push the news media to cover repressive regimes, extreme poverty and Third World countries, the case in Iraq does not necessitate any sort of "convincing." The Bush administration proclaimed the end of major combat operations in May 2003. Yet there are still 150,000 American soldiers standing guard in Iraq. News coverage, therefore, should be fitting for a full-scale war.
Frank news sources, like IraqBodyCount.net, report the hard facts. The organization estimates that 22,000-25,000 Iraqi civilians have died as a result of the Coalition's military operations and ensuing insurgency.
With these intimidating numbers, perhaps the American people will develop informed opinions about the war and our troops abroad. News media should provide the public with factual and thorough information that takes precedence over celebrity gossip.
Although many Americans will still skip over the "23 Dead in Roadside Bombing" headline on CNN.com, news organizations need to fully cover the events in Iraq. Despite President Bush's assurances, we are still in a time of war. Thousands of soldiers are abroad and billions of dollars are being allocated to Iraqi soldiers, politicians and oil companies. Do not mistake regularity for abating insurgencies -- the public and media are bored of these terrorist attacks and turn to dramatized celebrity plotlines. But we at least owe American soldiers our attention span while they continue to risk their lives in another fatal Iraqi summer.
Michael Behr is a Cavalier Daily columnist. He can be reached at mbehr@cavalierdaily.com.
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