Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
The fate of six miners trapped 1,500 feet underground followed two storylines last week as rescuers rushed against time and the mine company owner took his case to the public. But three presidential debates and the Iowa straw poll pushed the 2008 presidential campaign in the top spot.
The Senate slumber party/Iraq strategy showdown made the debate over the war the leading talk show subject last week. But the conversation about the 2008 presidential race, the second most popular topic, was driven by some pretty personal questions about the one woman in the race.
Even when they were covered, PSCs were often tangential aspects of larger stories about other Iraq-related issues or events. Many sprang from U.S. government actions or reports, such as the Washington Post’s April 23, 2005 story “Contractor, Army Office Fell Short” which ran on the front of the financial section.. Another example was USA Today’s […]
As a special report for PEJ’s weekly News Coverage Index (NCI), the Quarterly Report is based on the aggregated data collected from December 31, 2006 – March 31, 2007 (the first quarter of 2007). Examining the news agenda of 48 different outlets in five media sectors, including newspapers, online, network TV, cable TV, and radio, […]
The foreign policy sparring between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama helped make the 2008 campaign the biggest story last week. And Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ troubles continue to make headlines. But what’s behind the recent outbreak of terrorism scares in mainstream news coverage?
Whether silly political stagecraft or a sly legislative tactic, the Senate’s all-nighter helped make the Iraq policy debate the biggest news story of the week. At the same time, there were also ominous warnings on the terror front. And YouTube inserted itself smack into the middle of the 2008 campaign coverage.
Summary of Findings The rising price of gasoline replaced the Iraq war last week as the public’s most closely followed news story. More than half of the public (52%) paid very close attention to news about gas prices, and 27% said this was the single news story they followed more closely than any other. By […]