(Forced) Ignorance Is Bliss

Does it befuddle a few of us progressives out there that some people are beginning to see Iraq in a new light, that perhaps things are getting better after all? Of course we know that things aren't hunky dorry, it is just that the traditional media isn't covering the news on the ground and likewise attributing some declines in violence to President Bush's surge when there is no way it could be the case. The unfortunate, yet obvious answer to me is that...well, people have short attention spans and if they don't see it on their nightly news for a few days or weeks then they'll assume the problem is over.

From Reuters:

WASHINGTON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - A recent decline in U.S. news coverage from Iraq coincides with improved public opinion about the war just as the 2008 presidential campaign heads to an early showdown, a study released on Wednesday said.

The study by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism said the volume of coverage from Iraq fell from 8 percent of all news stories in the first six months of 2007 to 5 percent between June and October due mainly to a decline in news accounts of daily attacks.

The falloff coincided with a 14 percentage point climb -- from 34 to 48 percent -- in the number of Americans who believe the U.S. military effort in Iraq is going either fairly or very well, according to Pew.

While the amount of stories declines, the portrait of Iraq is merely being clouded, not turning as some conservatives would like to suggest. This diary from DailyKos is quite an interesting piece about the media and government spin, something to keep in mind as you tune in to CNN or ABC. Just because the media does or doesn't say something doesn't mean something else isn't happening. Never believe what you hear or read on face value, always look for many sources to corroborate a narrative to see if its true or not.