---
title: "Health Care Reform Challenge Tops the News"
description: "<p> The Project for Excellence in Journalism did not publish a news index report this week. However, the data is available. </p> <p> &#160; </p>"
date: "2012-04-01"
authors:
  - name: "Pew Research Center"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2012/04/01/pej-news-coverage-index-march-26-april-1-2012/"
---

# Health Care Reform Challenge Tops the News

The Project for Excellence in Journalism did not publish their regular news index report this week. Instead, PEJ published [this campaign report](/commentary_backgrounder/PEJ%27s+Election+Analysis). The NCI data is available [here](/tables_top_ten_story_data_march_26_april_1_2012).

## Top Ten Story Data: March 26 - April 1, 2012

### Overall (All 5 Sectors)

| Rank | Story | Percent of Newshole |
| --- | --- | --- |

| 1 | Health Care Debate | 21% |

| 2 | Trayvon Martin Shooting | 18 |

| 3 | 2012 Presidential Election | 10 |

| 4 | Economy | 6 |

| 5 | Record Mega Millions Lottery | 3 |

| 6 | Middle East Unrest | 3 |

| 7 | US Airline Industry | 2 |

| 8 | LA Dodgers Sold | 2 |

| 9 | Afghanistan  | 2 |

### Newspapers

| Rank | Story | Percent of Newshole |
| --- | --- | --- |

| 1 | Health Care Debate | 20% |

| 2 | 2012 Presidential Election | 10 |

| 3 | Economy | 8 |

| 4 | Education System | 6 |

| 5 | LA Dodgers Sold | 5 |

| 6 | China | 4 |

| 7 | Middle East Unrest | 4 |

| 8 | Trayvon Martin Shooting | 3 |

| 9 | NCAA Basketball Tournament  | 3 |

### Online

| Rank | Story | Percent of Newshole |
| --- | --- | --- |

| 1 | Health Care Debate | 21% |

| 2 | Trayvon Martin Shooting | 13 |

| 3 | 2012 Presidential Election | 12 |

| 4 | Economy | 7 |

| 5 | Middle East Unrest | 5 |

| 6 | LA Dodgers Sold | 3 |

| 7 | Record Mega Millions Lottery | 3 |

| 8 | Cuba | 2 |

| 9 | China | 2 |

### Network TV

| Rank | Story | Percent of Newshole |
| --- | --- | --- |

| 1 | Health Care Debate | 16% |

| 2 | Trayvon Martin Shooting | 14 |

| 3 | US Airline Industry | 8 |

| 4 | Record Mega Millions Lottery | 7 |

| 5 | Economy | 6 |

| 6 | Pope Visits Cuba | 4 |

| 7 | Myanmar Protests/ Unrest  | 3 |

| 8 | Iran | 3 |

| 9 | Afghanistan | 3 |

### Cable TV

| Rank | Story | Percent of Newshole |
| --- | --- | --- |

| 1 | Trayvon Martin Shooting | 37% |

| 2 | Health Care Debate | 18 |

| 3 | 2012 Presidential Election | 17 |

| 4 | Afghanistan | 4 |

| 5 | Obama's Open Mic Remark on Missile Defense | 4 |

| 6 | Record Mega Millions Lottery  | 3 |

| 7 | US Airline Industry | 2 |

| 8 | Gas/Oil Prices | 2 |

| 9 | CO Wildfires | 1 |

### Radio

| Rank | Story | Percent of Newshole |
| --- | --- | --- |

| 1 | Health Care Debate | 37% |

| 2 | Trayvon Martin Shooting | 24 |

| 3 | Economy   | 5 |

| 4 | 2012 Presidential Election | 3 |

| 5 | CO Wildfires | 2 |

| 6 | Iraq War - Events on the Ground | 2 |

| 7 | Corzine/MF Global Scandal | 2 |

| 8 | US Airline Industry | 1 |

| 9 | Record Mega Millions Lottery | 1 |