No News

The New York Times is, of course, puzzled:

The War Endures, but Where’s the Media?

Five years later, the United States remains at war in Iraq, but there are days when it would be hard to tell from a quick look at television news, newspapers and the Internet.

Media attention on Iraq began to wane after the first months of fighting, but as recently as the middle of last year, it was still the most-covered topic. Since then, Iraq coverage by major American news sources has plummeted, to about one-fifth of what it was last summer, according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism.

But why?

The article cites many possibilities for this conundrum, including vague loss of interest by readers, as well as:

Experts offer many other explanations for the declining media focus, like the danger and expense in covering Iraq, and shrinking newsroom budgets. In the last year, a flagging economy and the most competitive presidential campaign in memory have diverted attention and resources.

Though harping on the danger and expense of reporting from Iraq, near the end of the article this line is slipped in:

Americans against the war are less interested now that the news is better.

Good news is no news, apparently!