This project – using the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, as a case study model – examines the question of how media coverage of a current issue in the news relates to public interest in the issue and its relevance to their own lives.
An analysis of how 12 heavily visited U.S. news websites covered the pope’s visit to America. The news narrative around Pope Francis’ visit to the United States drew heavily upon the Pope and the public as sources.
While some evidence suggests that the amount of news media coverage mirrored that of the public’s comments on the FCC’s proposed net neutrality policy changes, our analysis found that more likely drivers of comments were grassroots efforts, as well as a popular comedian’s 13-minute segment on net neutrality that aired on cable television and found a large online audience.
Criticism of the governor among users outnumbered defenders by about 3-to-1 after news broke of e-mails linking his office to closing down traffic lanes in an act of political revenge.
The stories and issues that gain traction in social media differ substantially from those that lead in the mainstream press. But they also differ greatly from each other. Across a year-long study of blogs, Twitter and YouTube, the three platforms shared the same top story just once. What are the stories and issues that dominate in theses platforms? And what media outlets tend to provide those stories? A new year-long study by report offers answers.