data essay | Apr 27, 2017

Searching for News: The Flint water crisis

Many Americans turned to Google to learn about the Flint water crisis. An analysis of aggregated searches over time illustrates how, in today's digital environment, public interest shifts as a story unfolds.

short read | Sep 5, 2014

What drove spike in public comments on net neutrality? Likely, a comedian

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.

short read | Aug 20, 2014

Cable, Twitter picked up Ferguson story at a similar clip

The shooting death of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, quickly became a national news story on mainstream and social media last week. A new Pew Research Center analysis of media coverage of the event and subsequent protests finds that the story emerged on Twitter before cable, but the trajectory of attention quickly rose in […]

short read | May 15, 2014

Net neutrality: A made-for-web debate

The complex issue of net neutrality is not likely to be dinner conversation for many in the U.S. Still, the Federal Communications Commission vote expected today could dramatically impact the flow of digital content Americans receive, not to mention the bottom line for many major U.S. technology and content companies. So, where could the public […]

report | Mar 6, 2014

Media Coverage of Pope Francis’ First Year

One year into Francis’ papacy, an analysis by the Pew Research Center finds that the former Jesuit archbishop – who was named Time’s Person of the Year – ranked among the top global newsmakers in major U.S.-based digital news outlets.

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