It's not a mystery. Women can relate to a pretty white woman, so the story has legs, meaning it attracts a guaranteed audience; not a very bright audience but it doesn't matter. The product of news organizations is audience, not news. They sell audience to advertisers.

Women are the audience. Women need in every story something they can relate to. Here it is! A pretty white woman in combat who is hurt. The story must finish with a return home and glorious cheerleader honors. Watch for a husband shortly, and then, let's see, tragic inability to have children? Children? It doesn't matter, it will be on TV.

Relate, relate, relate.

No politician can oppose it either.

I caught this item on Daily Pundit but it's a series of links from that point.
Apparently Reuters-the wire service that can't bring itself to mention "terrorists"-has no problems with distorting the news.