The Amherst Wire

University of Massachusetts senior Brett Crosby tosses down The Boston Globe in disgust. He pauses for a minute, quickly sipping his coffee, his eyes going wall-to-wall, as he scans the crowded coffee shop.

“When did The Globe become a tabloid?” he asks rhetorically. “Why is this garbage front page news?”

Deep into an election cycle, it seems readers like Crosby are more likely to find out about Hillary Clinton’s exaggerated trip to Bosnia or Barack Obama’s breakup with former minister Rev. Jeremiah Wright, rather than the pressing issues facing the nation.

At the same time, coverage of the Iraq War has fallen off. According to a report by the PEW Research Center, just 3 percent of news coverage during February was dedicated to the war, down from 15 percent last July. So, can the lack of coverage include what voters see as important during this election cycle?

“I am not basing my vote around the Iraq War, more on who can do a better job as president, dealing with issues domestically,” said University of Massachusetts freshman Zachary Meilen.

Crosby echoed those sentiments adding, “The economy is affecting my vote a lot more than the Iraq War. There is no end in sight [to the war] currently.”

Why is the war generating such little interest? A lot of it has to do with news organizations, and how they cover the war. Some of those interviewed said the media force feeds the public superficial, general, soft stories on Iraq from afar, clouding the real picture.

“Maybe they should be talking to people who are currently involved. Talking to boots on the ground, not retired guys on the Pentagon payroll, getting information from the Pentagon,” said Crosby. “Talking to Afghanis, talking to soldiers, talking to people that experience it everyday on the ground.”

The reality of the Iraq War seems to be much different than the stories in the daily newspapers. Rieckhoff cited another study in his recent article stating 80 percent of Americans are aware Oprah Winfrey endorsed Obama, while only 28 percent know how many American troops have died in Iraq.

“If I wanted to see the news, I’d go there. I’d talk to people who are affected, you know. I’m not going to watch it on TV,” said University of Massachusetts sophomore Benjamin Beraha.

News organizations continuously fight between what sells and what the general public needs to know. Perhaps the reality of Iraq and horror of death is old news for Americans.

“The media should take a lot of blame for this themselves,” said Meilen. “They look for the best and brightest story, the story that is going to get the most ratings. It’s more of a ratings war than anything else.”

“At the end of the day, they are trying to make money. They are entertainers,” added Beraha.

Still, college students seem to find comfort in the safe haven of their dorm rooms, where the only fighting happens on gaming systems. Yet, when the conversation switches to the possibility of a military draft, so does interest in the war.

“If there was a draft from either candidate, it would affect my vote greatly because I would probably be one of the ones having to go over there,” said Meilen.

“Well, since I’m 22, healthy, and about to graduate from college, I’d probably be sent to Iraq [if there was a draft],” said Crosby. “Then it would probably affect my vote; I’d vote for whoever opposed the draft. But that would be political suicide.”

For many students, the Iraq War will continue to be yesterday’s news unless news organizations become more proactive in their coverage or civilians begin to feel the effects of war at home. Until then, it will continue to be the biggest news story no one hears about.