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Different Media Perspectives of the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops from Iraq

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Different Media Perspectives of the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops from Iraq
Media Perspectives of the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops from Iraq
Mervin Adrian Tanchingco
Exchange Student, Student #20123744
Hannam University

Abstract
This paper compares and investigates the media biases regarding the effects of the withdrawal of the United States army from Iraq. Two media outlets namely Fox News and Russia Today are put into side-by-side comparison. Videos and news reports of the same event from the two media outlets are used to study the differences in media coverage. A brief background study of the two media outlets is included. A critical analysis of the differences in media coverage and the underlying motives for bias will also be discussed.

Media Perspectives in the Withdrawal of the U.S. Troops from Iraq (2011)
Introduction
After the more than 9 years of invading Iraq, the United States President Barack Obama had ordered the complete withdrawal of the U.S. Troops from Iraq on October 21, 2011. This order took full power on the 18th of December 2011, pulling out more than 40,000 U.S. combatants from the battle field in Iraq. This act was in accordance with the agreement made between former U.S. President George Bush with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki to withdraw the U.S. troops before December 31 2011. Days after the withdrawal of the U.S. army from Iraq, an increase in violence inside Iraq had been reported by various media outlets. Fox News and Russia Today both featured the news with different perspectives. “Many (Iranian Dissidents) feel that without U.S. protection, they will be killed” says a Fox News’ National Security Correspondent, Jennifer Griffin (2011). “US leaders insist that they left a stable nation after nine years of launching that invasion” says a news anchor from Russia Today (2011).
This paper will use television and written news reports from an American national media outlet “Fox News” and from an international news media outlet “Russia Today” to critically analyze and study the media biases


References: Fox News TV News Report (2011) “US Protecting Iranian Dissidents in Iraq, December 27, 2011” Fox News Associated Press (2011): “Al Qaeda Front Group Claims Baghdad Blasts, December 27, 2011”, paras. 10 &11 Seth Ackerman (2001) “The Most Biased Name in News”, para. 3 Russia Today TV News Report (2011) “War Woe: Suicide kills more US soldiers than combat” Russia Today TV News Report (2011) “Birth pangs: Iraq emerges from years of occupation” para. 8 Nick Holdsworth (2008) “Russia claims media bias”
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