ePolitics 2004: A Study of the Presidential Campaign on the Internet

Tables may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

Front Page

  All front pages ABC AOL CNN MSNBC Nat'l. Review N.Y. Times Salon USA Today Wash. Post Yahoo
  (n = 60) (n = 6) (n = 6) (n = 6) (n = 6) (n = 6) (n = 6) (n = 6) (n = 6) (n = 6) (n = 6)
                       
Total Stories: Percent in Each Range                      
  % % % % % % % % % % %
10 stories or fewer 7 0 0 33 0 17 0 17 0 0 0
11-20 stories 47 50 100 67 0 83 0 83 83 0 0
21-30 stories 27 50 0 0 33 0 67 0 17 0 100
31 stories or more 20 0 0 0 67 0 33 0 0 100 0
Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
                       
Total Stories: Average Number                      
  # # # # # # # # # # #
Average number of stories 23 20 19 11 35 14 29 17 20 37 29
                       
Original Reporting: Percent in Each Range                      
10 stories or fewer 38 50 100 33 0 17 0 17 67 0 100
11-20 stories 32 50 0 67 0 83 0 83 33 0 0
21-30 stories 17 0 0 0 83 0 83 0 0 0 0
More than 30 stories 13 0 0 0 17 0 17 0 0 100 0
Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
                       
 
Original Reporting: Average Percent of All Front Page Stories                      
  % % % % % % % % % % %
Average Percent of Front Page Stories 63 56 0 96 78 93 95 79 47 89 1
                       
Interactive Links                      
Yes/No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No Yes No
How many (Range) 0-3 1 2-3 0 1 0 1 0-2 0 1-3 0
                       
Policy Background Links                      
Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes
How many (Range) 0-10 1 1 2 0 0 10 0 10 1-2 1
                       
Biographical Background Links                      
Yes/No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes
How many (Range) 0-12 0 1 9-11 2 0 11 0 1-8 11 12
                       
Unfiltered Audio/Video Links                      
Yes/No Yes Yes No No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes
How many (Range) 0-5 0-1 0 0 0 0 0-1 0 0-1 2-5 0-2
                       
Voter Background Links                      
Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes
How many (Range) 0-8 3-4 2 5-7 0-1 0 2-5 0 5-8 1-4 2-4
                       
External Voter Information Site Links                      
Yes/No Yes No No No Yes No Yes No No No Yes
How many (Range) 0-5 0 0 0 1 0 5 0 0 0 2
                       
External News Site Links                      
Yes/No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No No No Yes
How many (Range) 0-4 0 2 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0-2

Lead Stories

Story Origination Total (n = 138)
  %
Staff writer or staff 57
Other News organization 1
Wire service 27
Combo write-staff 11
Other 4
Total 100
   
Lead Story Trigger Total (n = 138)
  %
Election Results 26
Candidate Driven 41
Campaign Driven 1
Observer Driven 4
Press Driven 21
Independent Polls 6
Other 1
Total 100
   
Lead Story Topic Total (n = 138)
  %
All Politics 80
Advertisements 0
Candidate Performance Assessed 16
(i.e. connection to voters; on the stump)  
Fundraising 4
Polls 0
Primary Results 14
Political Calendar 1
Staffing & Management 5
Tactical Maneuvering 7
Endorsements 0
Battle Ahead 19
Other 15
   
   
All Personal 2
All Past Personal 1
All Present Personal 1
   
All Policy 4
Policy (general) 4
Campaign finance Reform 0
Defense/Military 0
Taxes 0
Health Care 1
Abortion 0
Education 0
Other Specific Policy 0
   
All Social Issues 0
   
Other Campaign Topics 11
Non-Campaign Topics 2
Total 100
   
Lead Story Frame Total (n = 138)
  %
Policy Explanation 0
Candidate’s Behavior 7
Candidate’s Leadership Ability 9
Candidate’s Health 0
Tactics & Strategies 11
Horse Race 19
Other political Internals 5
The Political System 4
Straight News Account* 46
Other 1
Total 100
   
Lead Story: Number of Sources Total (n = 138)
  %
0 sources 6
1 source 7
2 8
3 9
4 10
5 15
6 8
7 12
8 or more 26
Total 100
   
Lead Story: 1st source—named or unnamed Total (n = 138)
  %
Named 91
Voter 2
Candidate 59
Candidate surrogate 9
Outside expert 6
Staff journalist 0
Outside journalist 1
Poll/document 12
Other 3
   
Unnamed 4
   
No sources/Not applicable 6
Total 100
   
Lead Story Length (in paragraphs) Total (n = 138)
  %
1 to 5 4
6 to 10 10
11 to 14 12
16 to 20 17
21 to 25 23
26+ 34
Total 100
   
Lead Story Change (5 pm stories only) Total (n = 68)
  %
New Story 54
Update 4
Repeat 41
Total 100

Tables may not add up to 100 due to rounding.