by Katy Noone
Massachusetts Daily Collegian (U. Massachusetts-Amherst)
(U-WIRE) AMHERST, Mass. -- It may come as no surprise to most of us that the extensive media coverage of the past few days has consisted mostly of dramatic, emotional images, often lacking in-depth coverage of historical relevance and political importance.
Turn on any cable, network, or local television station and you will be bombarded with video feeds of military equipment and American, British and Iraqi soldiers. There are photos of burning oil wells, destroyed buildings, and large anti-war protests behind the well-known faces of Peter Jennings, Dan Rather, and Tom Brokaw. The faces of anxious American soldiers acting on orders to "make the world safe for democracy," give a human face to the complicated and controversial war against Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime.
Most of the American public yearn to be updated on the breaking news developments throughout the day and are more interested in the present happenings than they are in historical background. Thus it is not entirely any network's fault that they show the same dramatic, exciting, emotional coverage practically around the clock during times of international turmoil.
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However, with most of us confused about what war will bring and passionate about peace and justice, the images do little to enlighten us about the roots of the problems in Iraq. Vague mentions of the Gulf War, al Qaeda, oil and terrorism are heard and seen throughout the news coverage, but never in enough detail to paint a clear picture of the real issues behind the war.
George Bush and his administration is one of the most undiplomatic presidential groups in history. According to the March 24 Newsweek, "On an annual basis, George W. Bush has visited fewer foreign countries than any president in 40 years. . .He does better than Dick Cheney, who has been abroad only once since becoming vice president."
The Vice President of the United States has only been abroad once during his entire term? Most college students travel more than he does. How can a conservative, wealthy administration that doesn't even bother venturing beyond U.S. borders accurately access an intricate political, economic, and military situation thousands of miles away in the Middle East?
Obviously President Bush is surrounded by more intelligent minds than his own who have traveled around the world and who are highly schooled in diplomatic relations and international diplomacy. These people write Bush's speeches, including his State of the Union address (which was arranged in 30-second sound bites so as to make the highest possible impact to American viewers) and advise him not only on what tie to wear on public relations tours, but also how and when to wage war on Iraq.
No doubt the Sept. 11 tragedy paved the way for Bush's present military action in Iraq. He, along with former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani, became American heroes after the terrible terrorist attacks, possessing the "patriotic" spirit that America so treasures. Some of that praise and admiration may be deserved, yet only un-inquiring minds so soon forget the history of Bush and his interest in Middle Eastern oil and former family connections to the wealthy bin Laden family.
The context of hostilities between the United States and many Muslim nations is often placed aside, replaced by powerful images of the present conflict. An example of this is the noticeably small amount of coverage by the media of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the United States involvement in creating an atmosphere of resentment and violence in the Middle East.
The media has done a good job providing somewhat balanced news coverage, highlighting politicians for and against the war, as well as demonstrations supporting the war and those supporting peace. It should also be noted that anti-war demonstrators are not unpatriotic citizens who refuse to acknowledge the bravery and expertise of the American military and all of the men and women who make up our defense system. As the saying goes, "We're not against the soldiers, we're against the war." It is upsetting to hear of young soldiers and several journalists who have been killed in Iraq who have families and friends waiting for them to return.
The media does have a tendency to show American soldiers in a heroic light and Iraqi soldiers in an animalistic one. On Saturday's NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, a reporter was shown talking to huddled Iraqi soldiers who had surrendered to the United States. They were crouched on the ground, looking petrified and it was disturbing how inhuman the broadcast made the foreign soldiers seem. They showed pictures of injured Iraqi civilians "supposedly" injured by U.S. forces.
Although it can be agreed that Saddam Hussein is a dangerous man with the ability to create propaganda to win support, the U.S. media's insistence on ignoring possible civilian casualties makes them seem unrealistic. With entire buildings being blown up by powerful bombs and other weaponry, it is likely that some civilians may be injured.
It can be challenging to dig through all of the in-your-face, breaking news coverage that has taken over all forms of media since Bush officially began war this week. What all concerned Americans and people around the world should do is look beyond the camouflage tanks, burning oil fields and disruptive protests into the real issues that created an atmosphere of war.
With greater understanding of these issues, the international community can come up with solutions to political and economic problems before lives have to be lost in places such as Iraq.
