I wrote an article for Poynter Online this week, which you can check out here. The story lists findings from a study that Poynter commissioned to find out more about Americans’ views on the Iraq war coverage. Many of those surveyed (47 percent) classified the coverage as “poor.” Interestingly enough, people said they wanted to know more about the Iraqi government and people than they did about how the war is affecting local communities here in the U.S. How do you think the war coverage has been? What would you like to see more of?
Many Disatisfied with Iraq War Coverage
Published by Mallary Tenore Tarpley
Mallary is a mom of two young kiddos -- Madelyn and Tucker. Mallary absolutely loves being a mom and often writes about the need to find harmony when juggling motherhood and work. Mallary is the Assistant Director of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin, where she manages the Center's various programs related to distance learning, freedom of expression, and digital journalism. Previously, she was Executive Director of Images & Voices of Hope and Managing Editor of The Poynter Institute’s media news site, Poynter.org. Mallary grew up outside of Boston and graduated from Providence College in Rhode Island. In 2015, she received a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University. She now lives in beautiful Austin, Texas, with her kids, husband Troy and cat Clara. She's working on a memoir, slowly but surely. You can reach her at mjtenore@gmail.com. View more posts
Word on the Street 
Interesting topic and questions… I think that more independent reporting would be good and is key to covering any international conflict or any issue, national or international. A vast majority of U.S. journalists in Iraq are/were embedded reporters (to my understanding), and while I wouldn’t be the one to volunteer leaving the protection that the military offers in a place of war and conflict, in order to tell the whole story, we need journalists who are brave enough to. In 2005, The New York Times also uncovered some information that revealed that many T.V. news stations were airing or not significantly editing propoganda packages sent by the government in 2003, and that would be something that would need to change, too. A move toward more independent reporting–and more Americans reading news sources that don’t contain AP reports–would not only be good for coverage and American democracy, but it would revitalize the field of journalism and create more jobs for journalists if people weren’t satisfied merely with what the AP or other syndicated sources are handing out.