Bad news from Fallujah

This study uses the thematic analysis developed by the Glasgow University Media Group to explore how the US, UK and German national press covered the US/Coalition assault on the Iraqi city of Fallujah in November 2004. The study relies on quantitative and qualitative full text content analyses to assess 428 news, editorial and commentary items. The article suggests that, while government and military officials of the US/Coalition had argued the military ‘operation’ was necessary to secure Iraq and defeat an ‘insurgency’, organisations and actors from Iraqi society refer to the ‘operation’ as ‘collective punishment’ and a ‘massacre’ that targeted the Iraqi population. The article investigates how the press represented each of these perspectives. The findings suggest that the press overemphasised the US/Coalition perspective despite striking counter evidence. Critical aspects of coverage largely focused on tactical elements of the military dimension of the event. The article concludes that such findings are in accord with hegemonic models of media performance

Learnings from the Texas nearshore dispersant demonstration project

pgs. 9994-9998This project defines circumstances where a dispersant demonstration might be considered for an estuarine oil spill in Texas. In seeking approval for a spill of opportunity demonstration project, we developed criteria defining a viable dispersant response for consideration by the Region VI Regional Response Team. This paper presents the criteria and their rationale developed for Galveston Bay and Corpus Christi Bay, along with the results of recent training exercises. The criteria define the size and general location of an oil spill that might be considered appropriate for a trial dispersant application, and implementation of response and monitoring within a 2-hour window from notification. They are based on descriptions and characterizations of the habitats and species at risk in coastal areas, concentration and duration of dispersed oil plumes that might be generated in a response, potential impacts of these exposures, and the environmental trade-off between implementing mechanical response and a dispersant response. Because the dilution potential is constrained in shallow water environments, spill size has significant impact on the magnitude and duration of potential exposure regimes for water column organisms. Spills of 250 bbls or less pose minimal concern for water column communities with potential net benefit to other coastal resources. The trade-offs were not so obvious for larger spills. The exposure regimes and potential impacts for water-column organisms that would be maximally exposed during a dispersant operation were compared to the exposures and potential impacts for organisms and habitats exposed to floating oil and oil stranded on shorelines, at levels that could result during a mechanical recovery operation. These potential impacts are compared on a spatial and temporal basis, and with consideration for potential rates of recovery.http://gbic.tamug.edu/request.ht