Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
How did the sad saga of the Playmate/heiress become one of the biggest stories in America in the 23 days from her death to her burial? A PEJ report on the media’s role in the Smith episode finds that the coverage wasn’t as widespread as you might think. Still, some outlets couldn’t seem to get enough of the tabloid tale.
U.S. tensions with Teheran have been bubbling for some time now, but it took a conflict with another country to put Iran atop the media map. In the same week, the news didn’t get any better for Attorney Gonzales and the Iraq debate was marked by a crucial Senate vote.
Two major news stories, the fired U.S. attorneys story and the argument over Iraq policy, dominated the airwaves on cable and radio talk shows last week. But a look at how the talkhosts operate suggests that it can be passion and personality, rather than the issue itself that often drives the discussion.
It took some time to develop, but the growing controversy over the firing of a group of U.S. Attorneys is dominating the media’s attention these days and turning the episode into one of the biggest stories of the year. The big question that remains is how much the general public cares.
Two Washington-centric topics that left plenty of room for disagreement and debate dominated the cable and radio talk shows last week. But a PEJ examination of the talk landscape reveals that in some cases, the hosts’ own values and preferences determine what news is fit to argue about.