News Media Trends

Summary of Findings Americans continue to follow news about the economic crisis closely because they feel it is directly relevant to their lives. More than eight-in-ten (85%) say even when the economic news is bad they feel better knowing what’s going on, while 77% say they need to stay on top of economic news because […]

Bloggers and the traditional media both focused heavily on the $790 billion economic stimulus package last week. But the new media news agenda also included such subjects as cheap eyewear, Catholic indulgences, and the Muppets.

The country’s financial crisis last week became the biggest story in more than three months. The Treasury Secretary got unflattering media reviews, but the press narrative turned more positive for President Obama.

Lee Rainie's speech at the Integrated Media Association meeting was a hit on Twitter.

This speech pulls together Pew Internet findings and analysis about how people get news and relate to news items in the digital age.

Bloggers and the traditional media agreed on the two top news events last week, but with somewhat differing angles. New media users cared a lot more about nasty winter weather in other parts of the world.

Along with communicating extensively via untethered mobile devices, Twitter users are more likely to consume news and information on these devices as well.

Summary of Findings As the contentious debate over President Obama’s $800 billion economic stimulus plan played out in Congress over the past week, more Americans were hearing bad things than good things about the legislation. Close to half (48%) of the public says that what they were reading and hearing about the plan in the […]

It wasn’t much of a honeymoon, at least so far. And nowhere did the discussion of the economic crisis and the new Administration seem to beat up the President more roundly than in the studios of cable talk shows and, of course, on the radio.

Bloggers and the traditional media were both focused on the economy last week, but the online community was just as concerned with a Barack Obama-Rush Limbaugh feud and a practical joke involving a zombie sighting.