Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
As 2008 drew to a close, the media’s attention was more divided than any point all year. The economy and Obama’s transition were still top stories. But two scandals and the U.S. auto industry also competed for coverage.
Congress voted on a Detroit bailout, the media focused on fallout from the economic meltdown, and Barack Obama rolled out a key appointment. But a political scandal bleepin’ swamped ‘em all.
Barack Obama made headlines with some major appointments last week. But the bigger story was the deepening crises the new administration will face—a cratering economy domestically and a set of global challenges highlighted by the Mumbai terror attack.
The Project for Excellence in Journalism did not issue a News Index report this week, but the data is available.
The future of the automobile industry became a major component of the country’s ongoing economic problems last week, and speculation about Obama’s cabinet appointments reached a new level.
What was the big religion story of the general election? A new study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism in conjunction with the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life examines how the media covered religious matters.