report | Jul 15, 2013

Modest Public Interest in Close of Zimmerman Trial

Overview The final days of the trial of George Zimmerman, which concluded July 13 with a verdict of not guilty, attracted relatively modest public interest overall. In a weekend survey, 26% say they were following news about the trial very closely. This is lower than interest in the initial controversy over Trayvon Martin’s shooting when […]

short reads | Jul 11, 2013

Royal baby news? Most Americans don’t follow the British royal family

Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge – formerly known as Kate Middleton – are expecting the birth of their first child any day now, an event that will once again bring the royal family into the spotlight, whether the public welcomes the news coverage or not. In December 2012, a quarter of Americans said […]

report | Jun 17, 2013

News Coverage Conveys Strong Momentum for Same-Sex Marriage

News stories focused on support for same-sex marriage outnumbered those opposing it by roughly 5-to-1 in the two months marked by Supreme Court deliberations on the issue, according to the latest study in Pew Research's LGBT in Changing Times series. Did statements of support vary by media sector? Did reactions on Twitter differ from the news media? How was the topic covered in LGBT outlets? The new study offers answers.

short reads | Jun 10, 2013

As the Trayvon Martin case goes to trial, remembering a major media event

Today marks the beginning of what is likely to be a closely watched courtroom battle—the murder trial of George Zimmerman for the fatal shooting of 17-year old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida on February 26, 2012. While there has been ongoing coverage of the case and the run-up to the trial, it may be hard […]

short reads | Jun 5, 2013

Is MSNBC the place for opinion?

MSNBC president Phil Griffin generated plenty of media attention this week when he said, in a New York Times interview, that his channel was “not the place” for breaking news. “Our brand is not that.” Griffin was responding to a significant decline in MSNBC’s ratings, which the Times reported was down 18% in prime time […]

report | May 29, 2013

Most Say Disaster Spending Does Not Require Offsetting Cuts

Overview As Oklahoma recovers from severe damage caused by last week’s tornado, a majority of Americans (59%) say federal spending in response to natural disasters is emergency aid that does not need to be offset by cuts to other programs, while 29% say such spending must be offset by cuts to other programs. While there […]

report | May 13, 2013

Benghazi Investigation Does Not Reignite Broad Public Interest

Overview The public paid limited attention to last week’s congressional hearings on Benghazi. Fewer than half (44%) of Americans say they are following the hearings very or fairly closely, virtually unchanged from late January when Hillary Clinton testified. Last October, 61% said they were following the early stages of the investigation at least fairly closely. […]

report | Apr 25, 2013

Gun Control and the Media

The Twitter debate about gun control has taken many twists and turns since the Newtown killings, according to a new Pew Research Report that looks at the mainstream coverage and social media conversation on that issue. Which terms did the media most often invoke when discussing gun control? And how big a factor was President Obama in driving the narrative about it?

report | Apr 8, 2013

Gun Debate Draws More Interest than Immigration Policy Debate

Overview As Congress returns to Washington to resume work on gun control and immigration legislation, the public is paying far closer attention to news about the gun control debate than news about the debate over immigration policy. A national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted April 4-7 among 1,003 adults, finds 37% say they […]

Refine Your Results