Three Years, Three Stories

Three stories—the Iraq War, the 2008 election, and the U.S. economy—have dominated the news agenda since PEJ began tracking coverage in 2007.  How have those stories ebbed and flowed over time? And look for more of PEJ’s analysis of 2009 news coverage in its newest annual report on the health of American journalism, the State of the News Media 2010, coming Monday, March 15.

• 36% — The Olympic News Count--Vancouver Was No Beijing
• 3rd — When Infidelity Makes Headlines
• No. 1 — When Snow, Sleet and Slush Make Big News
• #2 — Who Made Headlines on Capitol Hill?
• 31% — Barack Obama -- News Coverage of His First Year
• 19.7% — The Leno Effect
• 3rd — When Off-the-Field Exploits Make Major News
• 1.5% — Global Warming Generates Little Heat in the Media
• No. 5 — Palin in the Public Eye
• 13:1 — The Dobbs Difference
• 2nd — The Fort Hood Tragedy - When Crime Makes News
• 317% — A Bull Market for Overseas News
• 45% — The War in Afghanistan as a Washington Story

Understanding the Participatory News Consumer

An overwhelming majority of Americans get their news from multiple news platforms. Which media sectors do people in the U.S rely on most? How has the internet and mobile technology changed the way people consume news? A joint PEJ-Pew Internet survey examines how internet and cell phone users have transformed news into a social experience.

• How News Happens
• Hispanics in the News
• Covering the Great Recession
• The Starting Line--Media Coverage of the Faith-Based Initiative in the First Six Months of 2001 and 2009
• Grim Employment Picture for Communication Grads
• Health News Coverage in the U.S. Media, Early 2009
• Swine Flu Coverage around the World
• Obama's First 100 Days
• Pros and Cons of Measuring Web Traffic--A PEJ Discussion Point
• Online Journalists Express Uneasy Optimism about their Industry
• Local TV News Reports a Drop in Revenue, Ratings
• Radio Is Well Suited For Digital Transition
• Who Fared Best (and Worst) in 2008?

The News Narrative: Crunch Time for Health Care: March 1-7, 2010

The media last week were focused squarely on politicians. While Obama’s health care gamble was the top story, Jim Bunning’s quixotic Senate crusade, a Texas gubernatorial primary and the resignation of a powerful House committee chairman were also big news. The only non-politics story in the top five was the tragedy in Chile.

• NMI — On Blogs, Hot Dogs Become the Health Care Debate: February 22-26, 2010
• NCI — After Lengthy Hiatus, Health Care Dominates Again: February 22-28, 2010
• NMI — “Climate-gate” Re-ignites the Blogosphere Debate: February 15-19, 2010
• NCI — In a Diverse Week, a Stimulus Debate Drives the News: February 15-21, 2010
• NMI — Charging for Content Elicits Strong Objections among Bloggers : February 8-12, 2010
• NCI — Mother Nature Leads the News: February 8-14, 2010
• NMI — Social Media Tackles Controversial Issues: February 1-5, 2010
• NCI — With Budget as Backdrop, Economy Leads the News: February 1-7, 2010
• NMI — State of the iPad Outpaces State of the Union: January 25-29, 2010