Despite dramatic structural changes in the news media since the 1980s, the interests of news audiences have changed very little over the past several decades. Disaster News and Money News have been at the top of the charts throughout, while Tabloid News and Foreign News have been at the bottom. In this first of two reports, Pew Research Center consultant Michael Robinson analyzes data from 165 surveys on audience preferences taken by the PRC (and predecessor organizations) since 1986.
A review of recent polling reveals that on most — though not all issues — the candidates are in tune with the majority of Republicans, but somewhat at odds with the broader public.
When the planes struck New York and Washington 5 years ago today, they altered the course of the news people get as well. According to new numbers from ADT Research, viewers of network evening newscasts have gotten a beefed up diet of war and terror since then while seeing big decreases in coverage of domestic issues, from crime to technology.