War Coverage, Media Obsession

Paper Summary:

This paper compares traditional media to new media in an attempt to determine which one is more influential and how they differ in their stories and presentation methods.

From the Paper:

"Media is always biased, less trained, unprepared, and hasty or simply looking for sensationalism and that is the reason why the news that we receive is either insignificant or highly distorted. Apart from the reporting of various events during the recent Iraq War, which I trust were never reported accurately, the media also tried to divert public's attention from pressing issues to those of minor significance by obsessing over trivial events. That media cannot be fully trusted for accurate account of events became a big issue when the story of Private Jessica Lynch came forth. Newspapers, televisions, local channels, radio stations and even the Internet obsessed over Jessica Lynch and her rescue from Iraqi forces. Almost overnight, she became the most important person in the world- an icon that everyone wanted to know more about. Lynch was presented as an epitome of courage and bravery and it appeared as if the only real purpose of having US force in Iraq was to rescue Jessica Lynch. "In the fourteen days after her rescue, Lynch drew 919 references in major papers, according to a Nexis search. In that same period, General Tommy Franks, who ran the war, got 639 references, Vice President Dick Cheney 549, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz 389. She stood with the giants." (Christopher Hanson, 2003)"

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