Blogs in Sync with Mainstream Media on Budget, Egypt
Social and mainstream media were in sync last week as bloggers focused on two primary topics — the U.S. budget and Middle East unrest.
Budget Battles Lead the News
Debate over Obama’s budget and the protests in Wisconsin drove coverage of economic issues to the top of the media agenda.
Blogs, Twitter Decry Patriot Act
Reauthorization of the Patriot Act led the conversation on both blogs and Twitter last week. And voices from both ends of the political spectrum were actually in agreement.
Mubarak’s Exit Keeps Focus on Middle East
Just as the media began to turn away from the story, the president of Egypt’s resignation overwhelmed news coverage — especially on cable — with reports of the protests.
Blogs Consumed by Egypt News
Bloggers were consumed with the upheaval in Egypt last week, using the platform to relay news updates, provide context to the crisis and debate the implications of the situation.
Egypt Overwhelms News Agenda
The events in the Middle East accounted for more than half of all news coverage. The saga is the biggest international story in the past four years, surpassing any coverage of Iraq or Afghanistan.
Egypt Uprisings Slow to Register on Blogs, Twitter
The turmoil in Egypt did not register as a major social media topic last week. Blogs discussed allegations surrounding Clarence Thomas and Twitter focused on technology.
SOTU Overshadowed by Middle East Unrest
While attention to unrest in the Middle East accounted for only 8% of the overall coverage early in the week, from Jan. 27 through Jan. 30 it skyrocketed to 36%.
In the Blogosphere, Calls for Bipartisanship and Confrontation
In the social media, the post-Tucson conversation was kinder and gentler; bloggers generally applauded a display of unity and bipartisanship.
Fallout from Arizona Shootings Tops Hu Visit
Unlike past tragedies, such as the Virginia Tech shootings, the events in Arizona stayed squarely on the news agenda thanks to the prominence of Rep. Giffords and the many political angles; the visit by China’s premier ran a distant second.
