---
title: "General Election Takes Shape"
description: "<p> The Project for Excellence in Journalism did not publish a news index report this week. However, the data is available. </p>"
date: "2012-04-22"
authors:
  - name: "Pew Research Center"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2012/04/22/pej-news-coverage-index-april-1622-2012/"
---

# General Election Takes Shape

The Project for Excellence in Journalism did not publish their regular news index report this week. However, the NCI data is available [here](/tables_top_ten_story_data_april_1622_2012).

## Top Ten Story Data: April 16-22, 2012

### Overall (All 5 Sectors)

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

| 1 | 2012 Presidential Election | 17% |

| 2 | Secret Service Prostitution Scandal | 9 |

| 3 | Trayvon Martin Shooting | 7 |

| 4 | Afghanistan | 7 |

| 5 | Economy | 6 |

| 6 | Dick Clark Dies | 6 |

| 7 | GSA Conference Spending Scandal | 3 |

| 8 | Middle East Unrest | 2 |

| 9 | China | 2 |

### Newspapers

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

| 1 | Economy | 14% |

| 2 | Dick Clark Dies | 8 |

| 3 | Education System | 6 |

| 4 | 2012 Presidential Election  | 6 |

| 5 | China  | 4 |

| 6 | Secret Service Prostitution Scandal | 4 |

| 7 | Afghanistan | 4 |

| 8 | Trayvon Martin Shooting | 3 |

| 9 | Oil Rig Explosion | 2 |

### Online

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

| 1 | Secret Service Prostitution Scandal | 11% |

| 2 | 2012 Presidential Election | 11 |

| 3 | Afghanistan  | 10 |

| 4 | Dick Clark Dies | 6 |

| 5 | Norway Explosion & Shooting | 5 |

| 6 | Trayvon Martin Shooting | 5 |

| 7 | Economy | 5 |

| 8 | China | 4 |

| 9 | Middle East Unrest | 4 |

### Network TV

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

| 1 | Secret Service Prostitution Scandal | 15% |

| 2 | 2012 Presidential Election  | 12 |

| 3 | Dick Clark Dies | 6 |

| 4 | Afghanistan | 6 |

| 5 | NASA/Shuttle Missions | 4 |

| 6 | Etan Patz Cold Case | 4 |

| 7 | Trayvon Martin Shooting  | 3 |

| 8 | GSA Conference Spending Scandal | 3 |

| 9 | Mid-April Midwest Tornadoes | 3 |

### Cable TV

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

| 1 | 2012 Presidential Election | 32% |

| 2 | Trayvon Martin Shooting | 13 |

| 3 | Secret Service Prostitution Scandal | 10 |

| 4 | Dick Clark Dies | 7 |

| 5 | GSA Conference Spending Scandal | 6 |

| 6 | Afghanistan | 5 |

| 7 | Economy | 3 |

| 8 | Middle East Unrest | 3 |

| 9 | Etan Patz Cold Case  | 2 |

### Radio

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

| 1 | 2012 Presidential Election | 28% |

| 2 | Trayvon Martin Shooting | 13 |

| 3 | Economy | 7 |

| 4 | Afghanistan | 6 |

| 5 | Secret Service Prostitution Scandal | 5 |

| 6 | Sept. 11 Commemorations | 5 |

| 7 | China | 3 |

| 8 | Oil Rig Explosion | 3 |

| 9 | GSA Conference Spending Scandal | 2 |