Wisconsin Journalists in Iraq - lack thereof

One of my recurring themes of late is the frustrating phenomena of American society going about its business while the Iraq War languishes on.  This same culture happened during Vietnam.  One can live the whole war out  never being touched by it (either by choice, or by ignorance).  

Nowhere is an example of this trend manifested better than the collective Wisconsin media's lack of in-country Iraq reporting.  As far as I can tell only ten or so Wisconsin reporters have been there in the last four years.  I am open to correction if anyone can find the real number.  That's what blogs are all about.  My honor will not be destroyed if I am corrected to the numbers.  

In contrast to the dismal showing in Iraq, the collective Wisconsin media sent, oh let's say, probably one-hundred or so journalists to the Capital One Bowl this past January 1st in Orlando, Florida.  Take a stab at the expense allowances for so many journalists from Wisconsin television, radio, university press and staff, and newspapers.   It was surely around at a minimal, one thousand dollars for a couple days down there per person.  Many entities had people down there at the Bowl for the week.  So then can we say 1,000 to 3,500 dollars per person per visit?  Average it out to about 2,200 per person times 100 media people and staff.  So is 220,000 dollars a reasonable guess?  A quarter of a million dollars? For one football game?

Yet we whine and complain about the war,  "they say," "well I hear," "the Associated Press says,"  "well I suppose," "you know its hard to tell",  "they are stuck in the 'Green Zone."  Seventy-one dead Wisconsin soldiers in now our fifth year of war.  Ten journalists in the same time period in-country, the last of which was there some time ago.  Am I missing something here? Am I just an old "defy-the-norms" anarchist?  Society knows best?  We could have a situational comedy television show, I could play the recurring character, 'Bob the perennial skeptic' always spoiling everyone's cake and Latte moment.

 The above diatribe contains speculative but what I think are reasonable assumptions.  I do however know for a fact, that one journalist can go to the Kurdish Region of Turkey and Norther Iraq (this is a war zone by the way, much to everyone's befuddlement) for six weeks for 3,000 dollars.  Said journalist still has all his fingers and toes. 

 This week's Wisconsin soldier to remember is Mathew Schram, a major in the Army's 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. He was killed on May 26, 2003 about 100 miles northwest of Baghdad in Haditha, Iraq.  His resupply mission convoy came under attack from gunmen who opened fire with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns.  The Brookfield native was 36.  He was in ROTC while at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater before joining the Army in 1989 and participating in the first Gulf War 12 years prior. 

3,302 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003. 

71 Wisconsin Soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.