On March 19, 2003, the U.S. military initiated the ground campaign phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Since that day, all forms of media have provided daily images and commentary regarding the military campaign, the U.S. occupation, and the ongoing efforts to rebuild Iraq. The great access available to reporters for covering the daily lives of the troops and people in Iraq has also brought extensive coverage of the war to the American public. In addition, forms of media are readily available to the American people to see many different aspects and views of the war. Television, radio, print, and Internet news sources have continued to capitalize on their technological prowess in order to portray the ongoing situation in Iraq.
To the average person, the vast number of references to and stories pertaining to the war in Iraq may seem confusing. What stories can one believe? Are the stories accurate and objective, or are they biased and untrue? Through content analysis, this study attempted to determine if coverage of the war in Iraq varied across different forms of media, including television, radio, print, and online sources. In particular, the study explored whether any biases existed, the nature of these biases, and what types of framing techniques may have been used by the media.