Swine Flu News Gets a Shot in the Arm
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say the media are overstating the danger of the swine flu and that they would not get vaccinated.
Public Renews Rx for Health Care News
Health care has been the public’s top story for weeks, and few say it has received too much media coverage. But a large majority still finds the topic hard to understand.
Media Have Less Influence on Views about Health Care, Economy
News outlets play much less of a role in shaping views of health reform and the economy — where personal experiences are an important factor — than they do on environmental issues and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Little Evidence of Obama Overexposure
The number of Americans hearing “too much” about the president has not increased during his push for health care.
Health Care Debate Seen as “Rude and Disrespectful”
Health care reform has been the dominant news story since late July, but it now has a 29-point advantage over the second most closely followed story. But most Americans say the tone of the debate has been negative.
Most Plan to Watch Obama Speech
Interest in health care reform remains extremely high, but two-thirds continue to say the issue is hard to understand.
Public Worried, Informed About H1N1
Most Americans are confident in the government’s ability to deal with the swine flue, less trust the media to accurately report on it.
International Stories Don’t Register
While health care is the public’s top story, as many heard about Brett Farve as protesters bringing guns to town halls. Most heard news about the availability of swine flu vaccines.
Death Panels Live On With Fox Viewers
Regular viewers of Fox News Channel are far more likely than viewers of other cable news channels and nightly network news to say claims of death panels are true.
Americans Hear Improvement in Tone of Economic News
Americans are hearing better news coverage about financial markets, real estate and prices. Also, as the health care debate tops interest, town hall protests register widely, with a majority calling the behavior appropriate.
