In the two-month period from March 8, 2007 to May 8, 2007, the Grand Rapids Press ran 196 stories on Iraq. Media Mouse has reviewed these stories and tracked the sources used in order to show how the Press' coverage can shape the public's perception of the Iraq War.
Coverage
Of the 196 stories, the overwhelming majority were stories reprinted from other sources. The Grand Rapids Press relied heavily on the Associated Press, running 124 stories by the wire service. The Press also printed 12 stories from the Washington Post, 10 from the Los Angeles Times, 9 from the New York Times, 2 from Cox News Service, 1 from Scripps Howard News Service, and 1 from the Boston Globe. Only 14 stories were printed on the front page, with the remainder appearing primarily within the "A" section of the Press.
The Grand Rapids Press wrote 34 original stories covering the war. While many focused on the deaths of local soldiers in Iraq, there were a few stories that focused on policy in Iraq. Following President George W. Bush's visit to East Grand Rapids, the Press ran two stories on Bush's visit (1, 2). However, the coverage was largely stenographic in nature, reporting his claims without critically examining his assertions. In this sense, the coverage was similar to what was found in the wire service stories, where the assertions of government and military were reported uncritically.
The Grand Rapids Press also covered local antiwar protests (1, 2). However, the coverage of antiwar protests largely minimized the protestors views and reported on the protests within a "law and order" framework that emphasized whether or not laws were broken. Voices from protestors received less attention than those of the police, and antiwar protestors outside of Grand Rapids received more attention than those in West Michigan.
During the study period, the Press did write a few stories that stood out. In particular, the Press published a piece by reporter Ted Roleofs on a local soldier's experiences with Walter Reed Medical Hospital in light of the scandal over the conditions at the hospital. Additionally, the Press ran a series of articles on the private mercenary corporation Blackwater USA.
Sources Consulted
The overwhelming majority sources consulted were from the United States military (67) and government (212 [95 outside of the legislators]). President George W. Bush was cited 38 times. Perspectives from Iraqis were limited, with twenty quotes coming from representatives of the Iraqi government, six from the Iraqi insurgency or resistance, and twenty-six from Iraqi people. Senators and Representatives were also heavily quoted, with Senators cited 58 times and Representatives 59 times.
The Press' coverage prioritizes official voices in the United States and elevates the concerns of the United States over the Iraqi people. There was no discussion of the legal legitimacy of the occupation of Iraq or the death toll for Iraqi civilians from the United States invasion. Similarly, with legislators in the United States being the primary dissenting voices cited in the paper, there is never a detailed exploration of the history of United States policy in Iraq.
It is also worth noting that 93 sources connected to injured and wounded United States soldiers in Iraq. Most of these were family members who lost loved ones in Iraq. Their quotes, while illustrating the human cost of the war for those living in the United States, were most often presented in highly emotional stories that had strong patriotic overtones.
Military Sources
| Source | Times Cited |
|---|---|
| Defense Secretary Robert Gates: | 9 |
| Lieutenant Colonel: | 9 |
| General David Patraeus: | 8 |
| Marine "Selling" War: | 7 |
| US Military Spokesperson: | 5 |
| Sergeant in National Guard: | 4 |
| Major General (Joint Chiefs of Staff): | 3 |
| General Peter Pace: | 3 |
| Lieutenant Colonel of Marine Company Returning to West Michigan: | 3 |
| Army Reserve Officer: | 3 |
| Major General: | 3 |
| Michael Dominguez, DoD Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness: | 3 |
| General Richard Cody: | 2 |
| Major General William Caldwell: | 2 |
| Lawyer for Soldier who Shot Iraqi Civilians: | 2 |
| Brig. General: | 2 |
| Unnamed Senior Pentagon Official: | 2 |
| Army Major General: | 2 |
| Army Sergeant: | 2 |
| Marine Staff Sergeant: | 2 |
| Captain: | 2 |
| Pentagon Spokesperson: | 2 |
| Army Spokesman: | 2 |
| Army Psychiatrist: | 2 |
| Retired General: | 2 |
| Air Force Lieutenant: | 2 |
| Retired Marine General: | 2 |
| Colonel Overseeing National Guard Recruiting: | 2 |
| Former Army General: | 1 |
| Commander of Operation Mobilizing Support for War: | 1 |
| Pvt. Jessica Lynch: | 1 |
| Marine Spokesperson: | 1 |
| Retired Marine General: | 1 |
| General Peter Shoomaker: | 1 |
| Colonel: | 1 |
| Army Colonel: | 1 |
| Staff Sergeant: | 1 |
| Marine General: | 1 |
United States Government Representatives
| Source | Times Cited |
|---|---|
| President George W. Bush: | 38 |
| US Ambassador Ryan Crocker: | 7 |
| Vice President Dick Cheney: | 6 |
| Former CIA Analyst Ray McGovern (Critic of War): | 6 |
| White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino: | 5 |
| Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen: | 3 |
| Chair of Congressional Panel Overseeing National Guard and Reserves: | 3 |
| White House Spokesman: | 2 |
| Spokeswoman for Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land: | 2 |
| CIA Report on Intelligence: | 2 |
| Walker Mayor Rob VerHeulen: | 2 |
| Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland): | 2 |
| Report on Reconstruction: | 2 |
| Bush Administration Official Previewing Bush Speech: | 1 |
| Bush Spokesperson: | 1 |
| US Ambassador to Iraq: | 1 |
| Governor of Tennessee (D): | 1 |
| Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: | 1 |
| US State Department Spokesman: | 1 |
| Bush Official: | 1 |
| Defense Intelligence Agency Report: | 1 |
| Douglas Feith (former Undersecretary of Defense): | 1 |
| National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley: | 1 |
| Inspector General Stuart Bowen Jr.: | 1 |
| William Lynch of State Department's Iraq Reconstruction Management Office: | 1 |
| President Bill Clinton: | 1 |
| US Embassy Statement: | 1 |
| State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack: | 1 |
Senators
| Source | Times Cited |
|---|---|
| Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV): | 17 |
| Sen. John McCain (R-NM): | 9 |
| Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY): | 6 |
| Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI): | 5 |
| Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL): | 3 |
| Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV): | 3 |
| Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-MA): | 2 |
| Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA): | 2 |
| Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY): | 2 |
| Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR): | 2 |
| Former Senator Bob Graham (D): | 2 |
| Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NB): | 1 |
| Sen. John Kerry (D-MA): | 1 |
| Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS): | 1 |
| Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NB): | 1 |
| Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NB): | 1 |
| Sen. Barrack Obama (D-IL): | 1 |
Congressional Representatives
| Source | Times Cited |
|---|---|
| Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): | 18 |
| Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-MI): | 7 |
| Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI): | 4 |
| Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX): | 4 |
| Rep. John Tanner (D-TN): | 2 |
| Rep. John Murtha (D-PA): | 2 |
| Rep. John Boehner (R-OH): | 2 |
| Rep. David Obey (D-WI): | 2 |
| Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL): | 2 |
| Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA): | 2 |
| Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA): | 2 |
| Chief of Staff for Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO): | 2 |
| Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND): | 1 |
| Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY): | 1 |
| Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD): | 1 |
| Rep. Rege Wicker (R-MS): | 1 |
| Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN): | 1 |
| Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA): | 1 |
| Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD): | 1 |
| Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL): | 1 |
| Rep. Mary Kaptur (D-OH): | 1 |
| Letter from Democratic Congressional Leaders: | 1 |
Veterans
| Source | Times Cited |
|---|---|
| Vietnam Veteran: | 10 |
| Soldier Home from Iraq: | 7 |
| Former Blackwater Contractor from Kentwood: | 6 |
| Soldier Accused of Murdering Iraqi Detainee: | 4 |
| Meijer Employee Serving in Iraq: | 4 |
| Iraq Veteran: | 4 |
| Veterans Affairs Official: | 2 |
| Soldier Wounded in Iraq: | 2 |
| Director of Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs: | 2 |
| Disabled Iraq Veteran: | 1 |
| Soldier returning from Iraq: | 1 |
Iraqi Government Sources
| Source | Times Cited |
|---|---|
| Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki: | 7 |
| Iraqi Police Captain: | 2 |
| Iraqi Parliament Media Spokesperson: | 2 |
| Iraqi Parliament Member Nassar al-Rubaie: | 2 |
| Iraqi Representative of al-Sadr's Organization: | 2 |
| Iraqi Businessman Living Near Site of Bombing: | 1 |
| Iraqi Living Near Site of Bombing: | 1 |
| Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani: | 1 |
| Anbar salvation Council Member: | 1 |
| Iraqi Interior Ministry Spokesperson: | 1 |
Insurgents / Iraqi Resistance
| Source | Times Cited |
|---|---|
| Islamic state of Iraq Statement: | 4 |
| Association of Muslim Scholars (Allegedly Connected to Insurgents): | 2 |
Non-Government Iraqi Voices
| Source | Times Cited |
|---|---|
| Iraqi Shop Owner: | 6 |
| Male Palestinian Refugee from Iraq: | 4 |
| Iraqi Merchant in Ramadi: | 3 |
| Iraqi Taxi Driver Wounded in Car Bomb Attack: | 2 |
| Iraqi Internet Cafe Owner: | 2 |
| Unemployed Iraqi: | 2 |
| Shiite resident of Baghdad: | 2 |
| Iraqi Merchant: | 1 |
| Sister of Palestinian Refugee from Iraq: | 1 |
| Wife of Palestinian Refugee from Iraq: | 1 |
| Iraqi Sadr City Resident: | 1 |
| Baghdad Resident: | 1 |
International Sources
| Source | Times Cited |
|---|---|
| UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan: | 2 |
| British Prime Minister Tony Blair: | 1 |
| Iranian Opposition Figure: | 1 |
| Iran's Envoy: | 1 |
Corporate / Think-Tank / University Voices
| Source | Times Cited |
|---|---|
| Political Science Professor at George Washington University (Commenting on Blackwater USA): | 6 |
| International Aid Executive Robert Goodwin: | 5 |
| Blackwater Founder Erik Prince: | 4 |
| Council on Foreign Relations Advisor to Department of Defense: | 4 |
| World Affairs Council Member: | 4 |
| Fred Meijer: | 4 |
| Boston University Professor: | 4 |
| Brookings Institute Researcher: | 3 |
| Spokesperson for Charter Plane Company Returning Bodies Home from Iraq: | 2 |
| Psychology Professor: | 3 |
| Rev. Robert Sirico (Acton Institute): | 3 |
| Asian Resident Working for KBR-Halliburton in Iraq: | 2 |
| University of Chicago Professor: | 2 |
| Goldman Sachs Managing Director: | 2 |
| Weapons Manufacturer: | 2 |
| GVSU President Thomas Haas: | 2 |
| Director of the Michigan Committee of the Employer Support of Guard and Reserve: | 2 |
| Business Professor at University of Chicago: | 1 |
| President of New School in New York: | 1 |
| Defense Policy Think-Tank: | 1 |
| Gary Bauer: | 1 |
Voices "Supporting the Troops"
| Source | Times Cited |
|---|---|
| Wife of Soldier in Iraq: | 9 |
| Mother of Soldier Serving in Iraq: | 4 |
| Kindergarten Teacher: | 2 |
| Librarian: | 2 |
| Digital Media Production Teacher: | 2 |
| Program Director for Organization Making Dolls for Children of US | |
| Soldiers: | 2 |
| Third Grader at School Visited by Guardsman: | 2 |
| Elementary School Principal: | 2 |
| Motorcycle Rider Accompanying Marines Returning from Iraq: | 2 |
| Daughter of Soldier in Iraq: | 1 |
| School Secretary: | 1 |
| 6-Year Old Student Making DVD for Troops: | 1 |
Sources Connected to Soldiers and Contractors Killed or Wounded in Iraq
| Source | Times Cited |
|---|---|
| Mother of Soldier Killed in Iraq: | 11 |
| Wife of Soldier Killed in Iraq: | 11 |
| Father of Soldier Killed in Iraq: | 9 |
| Father of Soldier Returning from Iraq: | 8 |
| Wife of Soldier Returning from Iraq: | 7 |
| Mother of Blackwater Employee Killed in Iraq: | 7 |
| Employer of Soldier Killed in Iraq: | 5 |
| Sister of Soldier Killed in Iraq: | 4 |
| Father of Soldier Wounded in Iraq: | 4 |
| Grandmother of Soldier Killed in Iraq: | 3 |
| Sister of Soldier Returning from Iraq: | 3 |
| Wife of Blackwater Contractor Killed: | 3 |
| Relative of Soldier Killed in Iraq: | 3 |
| Wife of Soldier Wounded in Iraq: | 2 |
| Patriot Guard Rider: | 2 |
| Father of Soldier Killed Before Deploying to Iraq: | 2 |
| Friend of Soldier Killed in Iraq: | 2 |
| Brother of Kevin Tillman: | 2 |
| Wife of Soldier Returning from Iraq: | 2 |
| Father of Soldier Wounded in Iraq: | 1 |
| Family Member of Soldier Killed in Iraq: | 1 |
| Grandmother of Soldier Killed in Iraq: | 1 |
Antiwar Protests
| Source | Times Cited |
|---|---|
| Protestor (National): | 6 |
| East Grand Rapids Police: | 5 |
| MoveOn.org member: | 4 |
| Vietnam Veteran Against Iraq War: | 4 |
| Protestor (Local): | 3 |
| Citizen Responding to Antiwar Protest: | 3 |
| Motorist Against Protest: | 2 |
| Co-Chair of Ingham County Draft Al Gore for President: | 2 |
| Cindy Sheehan: | 2 |
| ACTIVATE Member: | 1 |
| Police Captain: | 1 |
| Literature Distributed by Protestors: | 1 |
| New York Labor Activist: | 1 |
| Antiwar Iraq Veteran: | 1 |
| Antiwar religious Leader (National): | 1 |
| GRCC Professor and MoveOn Organizer: | 1 |
| Local Bush Protest Organizer: | 1 |
Unaffiliated Voices in United States
| Source | Times Cited |
|---|---|
| Grand Rapids Resident: | 6 |
| Resident Living Near Blackwater HQ: | 3 |
| Pennsylvania Resident that Saw Marine Speak: | 2 |
| Coach of Blackwater Founder Erik Prince: | 2 |
| Holland Resident Responding to John McCain's Views on Iraq: | 1 |
