Most Americans say the news media has devoted too much coverage to Barack Obama’s family and personal life, but the right amount to his leadership style and policy proposals.
A look at the public’s news interests over the past year shows continuing differences between women and men in the types of news stories that they follow very closely.
While the media focused more on British sailors held in Iran and the US attorneys scandal, news from Iraq remains the public’s clear priority. The core Anna Nicole Smith audience remains as large as in February, despite far more limited press coverage.
Once again, public opinion played a major role in the most important news stories of the year. Some of the strongest 2006 trends in public opinion carried over from previous years — notably growing concern about the Iraq war and mounting dissatisfaction with the performance of the Republican-controlled Congress.