report | Mar 1, 2010

After Lengthy Hiatus, Health Care Dominates Again

With the legislative process stalled in recent weeks, the media turned away from health care reform. But President Obama’s much-awaited February 25 summit meeting changed that. Meanwhile, a modicum of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill fueled coverage of the economy and a mea culpa before Congress put Toyota in the headlines.

report | Feb 25, 2010

“Climate-gate” Re-ignites the Blogosphere Debate

Following an interview with one of the leading scientists in the so-called “Climate-gate” controversy, bloggers engaged in a passionate exchange over the merits of climate change science. On Twitter, an airline’s treatment of an overweight celebrity was the top story. And on YouTube, the tragic death of an Olympic luger was a leading driver of traffic.

report | Feb 24, 2010

Winter Olympics Tops Public’s News Interests

Summary of Findings Americans say they followed news about the Winter Olympics in Vancouver more closely than any other major news story last week. The Olympics also proved to be one of two stories people talked about most frequently with friends. The other was Tiger Woods’ televised apology for marital infidelities. About a quarter of […]

report | Feb 22, 2010

In a Diverse Week, a Stimulus Debate Drives the News

The economy was the top story last week, but it faced stiff competition from U.S. medals in Vancouver, fighting in Afghanistan, a retiring senator in Indiana and an attack on the IRS in Texas. And then there was Tiger.

report | Feb 18, 2010

Charging for Content Elicits Strong Objections among Bloggers

Free versus pay? When it comes to music, bloggers last week strongly championed free. On Twitter, strong views over privacy issues surfaced when Google released its new social networking feature, Google Buzz. And a conversation between Jon Stewart and Bill O’Reilly attracted over a million views on YouTube.

report | Feb 17, 2010

Haiti, Snowstorms, Economy Vie for Public’s Attention

Summary of Findings Americans say they tracked the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti more closely than any other major news story last week, but they also kept a close watch on news about the U.S. economy and the powerful snow storms that hit the nation’s East Coast and South. Three-in-ten (30%) say they followed […]

report | Feb 16, 2010

Mother Nature Leads the News

With its wintry TV tableaus, last week’s massive snowstorms topped a news agenda tilted toward the nation’s Capitol. Not only did Washington D.C. bear the brunt of the snow’s wallop, but Beltway-based battles over the jobs and health care came next in the roster of leading stories.

report | Feb 12, 2010

Social Media Tackles Controversial Issues

An anti-abortion ad run during the Super Bowl and opposition to gay rights were the most popular subjects on social media last week. On YouTube, Apple’s iPad dominated all five of the most-viewed news videos.

Refine Your Results

 
 

Signature Reports

fact sheet | Sep 20, 2022

Social Media and News Fact Sheet

Digital news has become an important part of Americans’ news media diets, with social media playing a crucial role in news consumption.