report | Sep 15, 2008

McCain vs. Obama on the Web

The 2008 race for the White House has been dubbed the first Internet election. What presence have the candidates established online? Has one taken more advantage of this new platform? A new PEJ study examines John McCain and Barack Obama’s Web sites to assess the online campaign.

report | Sep 15, 2008

Northern Exposure Still Dominates the News

The Republican convention may be over, but the Sarah Palin phenomenon continues to be the big campaign newsmaker. Last week, the media took a closer look at her record, she sat for her first interview, and lipstick entered the realm of political wedge issues.

report | Sep 15, 2008

Online News: Should You Be Reading This at Work?

The internet is allowing Americans to stay constantly informed about the news of the day -- on the company dollar - regardless of whether keeping up-to-date is important to their job.

report | Sep 10, 2008

McCain’s Image Improves – With Big Assist From Palin

Summary of Findings The American public paid a lot of attention to the presidential campaign last week as the Republican Party took center stage. More than half watched at least some television coverage of the Republican convention in St. Paul, and the speech by GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin stands out as the highlight […]

report | Sep 8, 2008

The Palin Phenomenon Drives Campaign Coverage

Last week, John McCain formally accepted his party’s nomination for the U.S. presidency. But he was overshadowed by the attention paid to Sarah Palin, some of which pitted the GOP vs. the media.

report | Sep 3, 2008

After Busy Week, Views of Both Candidates Improve

Summary of Findings Interest in the presidential election surged last week, with the public following campaign news more closely than at any point since the Super Tuesday primaries in February. As attention to the campaign has increased, the images of both Barack Obama and John McCain have improved in recent days. In a survey conducted […]

report | Sep 2, 2008

Denver and Palin Fuel Biggest Campaign Week Yet

For much of last week, the Democrats’ effort to make peace and reintroduce Obama to voters were the focal points of campaign coverage. How much success did John McCain have in suddenly stealing the media narrative?

report | Aug 28, 2008

Podcast Downloading 2008

As gadgets with digital audio capability proliferate, podcast downloading continues to increase. Currently, 19% of all internet users say they have downloaded a podcast.

report | Aug 27, 2008

Obama’s Background Better Known Than His Issue Positions

Summary of Findings As Barack Obama prepares to accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for president and frame his campaign message for the fall, many Americans still do not have a clear understanding of where he stands on the issues. Public awareness of Obama’s policy positions has increased modestly over the past month. Still, fewer than […]

report | Aug 25, 2008

It’s All Veepstakes All the Time

The critical policy issues, and almost every other element of the campaign, took a back seat to the vice-presidential selection process last week. The only other story to really break through was a flap that arose after John McCain had trouble keeping track of his real estate.

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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.