News Content Analysis

The agreement on tax cuts between President Obama and GOP leaders led to a complex online conversation which revealed deep tensions within one party. The WikiLeaks controversy, a hot topic for the second week in a row, drew a more unified response. And on YouTube, a tragic stunt on live German television drew worldwide attention.

Interest in WikiLeaks Down

The arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and the death of Elizabeth Edwards both received substantial coverage, but it was the reaction to a compromise on the expiring Bush-era tax cuts that really galvanized the press last week.

The social media were galvanized last week by the WikiLeaks dissemination of secret U.S. documents—sharing and commenting on a number of different elements in the story. Twitter users drew even more attention, though, to a major scientific discovery largely uncovered in the mainstream press.

Mixed Reactions to Media Coverage

There was a significant spike in coverage of the troubled U.S. economy last week as Washington seemed to start tackling some of the key issues more aggressively. And if Julian Assange wasn’t already a household word, the man famous for sharing U.S. secrets generated enormous attention with new revelations.

The outrage over new security measures at the nation’s airports ran rampant among bloggers, Tweeters, and YouTube viewers. Phrases like “security theater,” “money making scam” and even an animated reenactment of full body x-rays and pat-downs pervaded social media.

Most Aware of Energy Drink Warnings

The state of the troubled U.S. economy, the old reliable of news stories, was the biggest topic in the news last week. But the media also focused on some new TSA screening techniques that seemed to poke and provoke some travelers. And continued coverage of the midterms focused on new power players in Washington.

News of scientists’ plans to more actively warn of global warming dangers generated a big response from bloggers last week. And on YouTube, the continuing Philip DeFranco phenomenon illustrates the online platform’s power to turn regular folks into video stars.