Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

News Coverage


  • report

    Terrorism Transforms News Interest

    Introduction and Summary For the first eight months of 2001, public interest in the news was modest at best. The rising price of gas and China’s release of a detained American air crew were the only stories to attract close attention from majorities of the public. Other big stories ­ President Bush’s first year, the […]

  • report

    Terror Coverage Boost News Media’s Images

    Introduction and Summary These are the best of times and the worst of times for the news media when it comes to public support. By and large, Americans continue to praise the press for its coverage of the war on terrorism, here and abroad. So much so that the general image of the media has, […]

  • report

    Attacks at Home Draw More Interest than War Abroad

    Introduction and Summary As reports of anthrax attacks dominate the media, the public is paying far greater attention to news of terrorism at home than to the war in Afghanistan. Interest in terrorist attacks is now running as high as during the early days after Sept. 11 – fully 78% are following news of terrorism […]

  • report

    Public Remains Steady in Face of Anthrax Scare

    Introduction and Summary Reports of new anthrax cases in New York and elsewhere are not raising public anxiety or further demoralizing Americans. Reports of depression, sleeplessness and concern over renewed terrorism have not increased following the news on Oct. 12 that an NBC employee had been infected with anthrax. In the wake of those reports, […]

  • report

    American Psyche Reeling From Terror Attacks

    Introduction and Summary Americans are standing tall at a time of crisis — they are united in their approval of the nation’s leaders, paying rapt attention to news, and say they are willing to suffer thousands of military casualties in a protracted conflict to retaliate for last week’s terrorist attacks. But at the same time […]

  • report

    Missing Intern Stirs Media Frenzy, Lukewarm Public Interest

    Introduction and Summary Despite the news media’s intense focus on the disappearance of Chandra Levy and her relationship with Rep. Gary Condit, public interest in the story is relatively low, particularly when compared to other celebrity scandal cases in recent years that have attracted massive media attention. The latest Pew Research Center survey, conducted July […]