Interest in News from Iraq
The conflict in Iraq has faded in Americans’ minds and in news coverage. Coverage of Iraq comprised just 0.6% of newshole monitored from Jan. 1 through Dec. 4 in the ongoing News Coverage Index (NCI) conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. That’s down substantially from 2007, the first year that PEJ began its ongoing coding of the news. That year, Iraq accounted for 15.4% of the newshole, spurred by debates in Washington over Iraq policy and the beginning of the surge of U.S. troops in the country.
In recent years, Americans have paid closer attention to news about plans for U.S. troops in Iraq than conditions on the ground there. In December 2010, just 19% said they were very closely following news about the current situation and events in Iraq.
Interest in News from Iraq  | 75  | % following Iraq news about the situation  | in Iraq very closely  | 50 25 Intriving in Iraq very  | 25  | 19  | 03 Q4 05 06 07 08 09 10 Dec  | 2010 Dec  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER Dec 16-19, 2010, 