FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, March 18, 2008 CONTACT: Kara Horowitz, IAVA (212) 982-9699 or
Iraq Vets Plead for More Coverage of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
Five Years into the Iraq War, Few Americans Even Know the Death Toll
NEW YORK - On the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war, Iraq
and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation's first and
largest non-partisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan, is calling on the press to report on the current conflicts
more thoroughly. Coverage of the wars has dropped sharply in recent
months. According to the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence
in Journalism, just 3% of February's news stories focused on the wars,
as compared to 15% in July 2007.
"The media must
demonstrate that they can walk and chew gum at the same time," said
Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of
America. "The economy and the presidential campaigns are obviously
important stories, but it's inexcusable to let coverage of the ongoing
wars simply fall by the wayside."
As a result of
the waning media coverage, fewer Americans are aware of the tremendous
sacrifices U.S. troops and their families are making. The Pew Research
Center also recently found that just 28% of Americans know that nearly
4,000 U.S. servicemembers have died in the Iraq war. This marks a
precipitous drop from August 2007, when more than half of the country
was able to correctly identify the death toll.
"Over
80% of Americans are aware that Oprah Winfrey endorsed Senator Obama,
yet only 28% know how many troops have died in Iraq. This news is a
slap in the face to everyone who has served in the current conflicts,"
said Rieckhoff. "Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America calls on the
media to report more thoroughly on the current conflicts and the issues
facing veterans. The unprecedented detachment between the American
public and the men and women at war makes the media's coverage of the
conflicts more vital than ever."
Iraq and
Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is the nation's first and
largest group for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A
nonprofit and non-partisan organization, IAVA represents more than
80,000 veteran members and civilian supporters in all 50 states. To
arrange an interview with Paul Rieckhoff or another IAVA veteran who
can reflect on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war, please contact
Kara Horowitz at (212)-982-9699, or email
.
For more information, please visit www.iava.org.
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