News Coverage

In a crowded news week, the economy was the top story, followed by an intensifying 2012 presidential race. The week ended with news of a new terror warning and sober reflection on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Overview The aftermath of Hurricane Irene was the top story for the public and the media last week, as flooding worsened in many East Coast states well after the storm winds had died down. More than a third of the public (36%) say that the impact of the hurricane was the news they followed most […]

Even after it had passed, the hurricane that slammed the East Coast continued to be the top news story across the U.S. last week as damage mounted. A scheduling skirmish over a presidential speech made the economy the No. 2 story while the hunt for a deposed dictator was a smaller story than his fleeing the capital.

The resignation of the admired businessman and inventor dominated Twitter for the week, far outpacing a pair of natural disasters on the East Coast. On YouTube an international basketball brawl drew significant attention while bloggers were stunned at the size of our national debt.

 Overview Hurricane Irene was the public’s top news story last week in a busy seven days that included an unusual and widely-felt East Coast earthquake and major developments in Libya. About four-in-ten (41%) say that Irene was the news story they followed most closely last week, according to the latest weekly News Interest Index survey, […]

There were no late summer news doldrums last week as the apparent conclusion of a civil war and a pair of natural disasters topped the news. The rebel takeover of Libya generated the biggest week of attention to that conflict in five months while an earthquake and a hurricane brought the media focus back to the Northeast United States.

Overview Americans focused most closely last week on news about the nation’s troubled economy amid concerns about the stalled recovery and fears of a possible new recession. About four-in-ten (42%) say they followed reports about the condition of the U.S. economy more closely than any other news. That is three times the number saying their […]

The economy remained the No. 1 story for the ninth consecutive week while the 2012 presidential race continued its recent spike in coverage last week. And dramatic developments regarding Syria and Libya drove Mideast coverage to its highest level in nearly three months.

Overview News about the crash of a military helicopter in Afghanistan that killed 30 Americans last week refocused public attention on the long-running war there. About a quarter of the public (27%) says they followed news about the troop deaths in Afghanistan – which included members of the elite force that killed Osama bin Laden […]

Economic coverage once again dominated the news last week, and this time the focus was on the volatility of the stock market. And with Iowa in the spotlight, the 2012 presidential election re-emerged in the media narrative after several weeks of being buried by bad economic news.