---
"title": "Limited Coverage of Longest War"
"description": "So far in 2010, just 2.8% of the newshole has been devoted to the war in Afghanistan."
"date": "2010-06-18"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Russell Heimlich"
    "job_title": "Former web developer"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2010/06/18/limited-coverage-of-longest-war/"
"categories":
  - "Rural, Urban and Suburban Communities"
---

# Limited Coverage of Longest War

The war in Afghanistan recently passed Vietnam as the longest-running war in the history of the United States. In 2010, some eight-plus years after the start of military action, the conflict is receiving scant attention from the U.S. press.Through early June, the war hadfilled only 2.8% of the total newshole for the year with coverage declining from 3.3% of the newshole in the first quarter of the year to 2% in the second. The war last saw a spike in media attention in late 2009 as President Obama was making a decision about escalating the American troop presence in Afghanistan. In fact, the war filled 9.5% of the newshole in the fourth quarter of 2009 and trailed only the health care debate and the economy on the roster of top stories. [Read More](http://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/journalism/numbers_report/Americas_longest_war_fights_for_attention)