Oil Spill Becoming One of the Biggest Stories of the Year
The oil leak in the Gulf became the first story in 14 months to command at least 30% of the newshole for three consecutive weeks.
Media Coverage of the Catholic Clergy Sex Abuse Scandal
Newspaper coverage of the Catholic clergy sexual abuse scandal grew more intense this spring than at any time since 2002, and European newspapers devoted even more ink to the story than American papers did.
The Flotilla Furor Online
The latest outbreak of Middle East violence triggered a passionate blogosphere response focused on who was to blame. Three out of the five most-viewed news videos on YouTube were scenes of the violence aboard the Turkish ship.
Oil Spill: Month-Long Top Story
In the seven weeks since the explosion, the spill saga has come to overshadow every other subject in the mainstream news agenda, registering at 22% of the newshole for the period.
Blogs Poke Facebook
Many bloggers felt the social networking site had misled them about how their information was being used. Twitter was dominated by Apple, again.
Unplugged: Media Attention to Spill Increasing
Press coverage of the oil spill continues to rise (reaching a new high) as the oil continues to flow. As with most disasters, the Gulf proved to be, first and foremost, a TV story.
Bloggers Ponder Artificial Life
As science tends to do, the creation of living cells controlled by synthetic DNA captivated blogs. A campaign ad for the Alabama Agriculture Commission became the most watched video on YouTube.
Oil Spill and Primary Elections Top News Agendas
Cable news devoted 33% of airtime to the elections, more than any other sector, while devoting 18% to the oil spill. In contrast, network newscasts apportioned their time in almost the reverse pattern: 13% to politics and 25% to the oil spill.
New Media, Old Media
Technology makes it increasingly possible for the actions of citizens to influence a story’s total impact.What types of news stories do consumers share and discuss the most? What issues do they have less interest in? What is the interplay of the various new media platforms? And how do their agendas compare with that of the mainstream press? A review of a year’s worth of data sheds light on these questions.
On the Blogs, Across the Pond
In stark contrast to the mainstream U.S. press, the blogosphere — lacking geographic boundaries — was consumed by the British election.
