Media Exaggerating Iraq Violence

Or "greatly inflating it" as Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch described the reports over recent Mosques attacks:

Iraqi and coalition security forces have stepped up patrols and manned more roadblocks in areas of friction, Lynch said. They are also helping verify reports of violence that Lynch said have proven to be greatly inflated.
These exaggerated reports make the Iraqi people believe the violence is more widespread and severe than it really is, Lynch said. This feeds into terrorists' efforts to incite fear and draw a wedge between the country's sects, he said.

And specifically:

The media reported 51 mosques attacked following the Samarra incident, 23 of them receiving significant damage. But in reality, as of noon Feb. 25, 22 mosques were attacked, with six receiving significant damage, Lynch said...
Civilian murders are up following the incident, Lynch acknowledged, but nowhere near the 200-plus reported in the media, he said. As of Feb. 25, Iraqi and coalition officials had confirmed 119 murders, he said...