short reads | Jun 14, 2013

Ellen DeGeneres is the most visible gay or lesbian public figure in America

More than anyone else, Ellen DeGeneres is the face of LGBT America. Still. That’s the verdict of two new Pew Research Center surveys, one of the general U.S. population and the other of LGBT Americans specifically. Not only was the comedian and television host by far the most frequently cited example of a gay or […]

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 | Jun 3, 2013

Newsweek By the Numbers

After a few very difficult years, Newsweek magazine, which sold for $1 three years ago, may be up for sale again. A Pew Research Center analysis of news magazine economics in the past half dozen years finds that in a difficult period for newsweeklies in general, the turmoil and decline at Newsweek has been particularly noteworthy.

short reads | May 22, 2013

Citizen eyewitnesses provide majority of top online news videos in Oklahoma tornado disaster

In recent years, natural disasters around the world have been chronicled by a new kind of visual journalism, often produced by citizen eyewitnesses and posted to the video sharing site YouTube. These videos represent a way of “crowdsourcing” a dramatic breaking news event, frequently before professional journalists can arrive on the scene.

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 | Mar 17, 2013

Friends and Family – Important Drivers of News

When they hear about news events from friends and family, the vast majority of people seek out full news stories to learn more, according to a new survey by Pew Research Center.

report | Mar 17, 2013

The Changing TV News Landscape

The news programs that Americans watch on national cable channels and their local television stations have changed significantly in recent years while the network evening newscasts have remained remarkably stable, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center.

report | Feb 1, 2013

Will Conservative Talkers Take On Immigration Reform?

Back in 2007, when President George W. Bush pushed for new immigration legislation, PEJ research showed the degree to which conservative talk hosts attacked the measure. And, they themselves took credit for helping to kill it. Will these hosts reprise their staunch opposition this time around? The early indications suggest that perhaps not.

report | Dec 20, 2012

In Social Media and Opinion Pages, Newtown Sparks Calls for Gun Reform

Gun control was an immediate focus of the conversation on social media and in the opinion pages of newspapers following the shooting at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School, according to a special PEJ report. How does the response to this tragedy compare with other shootings? How did coverage in opinion pieces differ than the social media conversation? The report offers answers.

report | Dec 14, 2012

The Media, Religion and the 2012 Campaign for President

Religion played a minor role in coverage of the 2012 campaign, even though the race pitted the first major Mormon nominee against an incumbent whose faith has been a source of controversy. A new report from PEJ and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life examines role of faith in 15 months of campaign coverage.

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