(Image via brookings.edu)
Volunteer Writer: Michael Eurquhart
Email: meurquhart@umassd.edu
In recent news, it has been confirmed that President Biden has officially permitted Ukraine to use American-made artillery and missiles in their war against Russia. This is one of the few major news stories that we have heard from Ukraine since Russia declared war, and with it coming to the spotlight again, a question arises:
Why did the news coverage suddenly go dull?
As the months go on, the fighting seems more devastating, but why has it not been covered by mainstream media?
Is there a reason why, at the beginning of the war, everyone knew about it, compared to now, when some have forgotten?
As the death toll for Ukrainian forces reaches the 80,000 mark since February of 2022, these questions start to flood Americans’ minds. The reason is simple: if it is not relative enough to draw in views, then media outlets ignore it.
You would think that war would be the main headline for as long as the conflict is active, especially since Russia has sustained heavy losses, now at a staggering 469,840 deaths as of May 2024.
In reality, war takes too long to be the center of attention for an extended period. CNN, FOX News, and even ABC don’t want to play out something that can be focused on when convenient. Journalists notice this as time goes on, and unfortunately, it is the reality side of the business; many outlets can’t concentrate resources on outdated stories.
Michael Kennedy is a sociology professor at Brown University, and he was able to give an opinion on the matter,
“Major news corporations like CNN or FOX need to maintain a certain amount of prospects monthly, talking on one story too much can cause a decrease in this even if it is morally wrong.”
Kennedy gives a more business-oriented answer, stating that for them to share the news, they need to have enough followers to do so, and reporting on current events is their best chance at this.
Although major media outlets seem to be responsible for spreading news, sometimes they need to prioritize the news in their area over what’s happening in other countries.
Omer Bartov is a professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown, and he, with the help of Michael Kennedy, led a panel on the war in Ukraine. When asking him his opinion, he gave a simple answer;
“There is no way of telling, right? Most of the time, we don’t notice what’s going on in other countries unless it involves an American or affects the world. I say they try to stick with what’s happening around you.”
Bartov is more optimistic in his thoughts, giving more leeway to the news outlets for not covering the war. Of course, there are many reasons why something as big as this is not always the front page news.
Sometimes, it can have something to do with crowd control. People don’t want to see a topic as mood-dropping as war every day.
There is no excuse for the lack of significant coverage for drastic periods of time. News outlets can be seen slowing down on information. Although they may give a brief update every other month, media titans such as Fox News have gone from mid-2023 until the beginning of 2024 without any significant coverage, such as impacts for Americans and the world.
Vladimir Petrovic is a Senior Academic Researcher at Boston University researching Mass Political Violence and Confrontation Strategies. He believes that the war should be in the public more but understands the negatives that come with it,
“No one necessarily wants to see war on their phones or newspapers every day. Yes, it’s important that they know what is going on, but it’s also important not to over-share any unnecessary information. Too much of anything can be bad.”
This is a good point to share, as the people in America most likely would not enjoy knowing every day-to-day detail associated with war as it can be overstimulating.