The Internet and Campaign 2010
54% of adults used the internet for political purposes in the 2010 election cycle, far surpassing the 2006 midterm contest.
Strong Public Interest in Japan Disaster
Summary of Findings The devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan late last week dominated the public’s news interest – and news media coverage – in the days following the March 11 disaster. Roughly half (52%) of the public say they very closely followed news about the massive earthquake off the northeast coast of Japan […]
How mobile devices are changing community information environments
47% of American adults use their cellphones and tablet computers to get local news and information
A Furious Week Ends in Disaster
Continued fighting in Libya and the union faceoff in Wisconsin fueled the No. 1 and No. 2 stories overall last week. But the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on Friday March 11 quickly overwhelmed every other story—including a controversial hearing on Islamic terrorism.
This Time, Bloggers Battle over the GOP Budget
While the violence in Libya was one of the top stories on Twitter, bloggers homed in on domestic policy as they debated the potential impact of proposed Republican budget cuts and the prospects of a government shutdown. On YouTube, three videos that brought home the devastation of the earthquake in New Zealand garnered millions of views.
As Gas Prices Spike, More See Economic News as Bad
A growing awareness of bad news about gas prices has, at least for now, reversed Americans’ more positive perceptions of economic news in recent months. Nearly four-in-ten (38%) say they are hearing mostly bad news about the economy, up from 29% in February, according to the latest News Interest Index survey conducted March 3-6 among […]
A Shifting Libya Narrative is No. 1
The violence in Libya and the political standoff in Wisconsin continued to drive the news agenda last week while a potential government shutdown and a significant health care development got about the same attention as the misadventures of a troubled actor.
Bloggers Take Sides in the Wisconsin Standoff
Domestic and foreign conflicts—from Madison to Tripoli—generated plenty of attention in social media last week, with users opining and relaying breaking news. On YouTube, scenes of Mideast unrest once again made the roster of most popular videos.
Rising Oil Prices Big News for American Public
Summary of Findings Both the public and the media focused last week on the increasing violence in Libya, but Americans also closely tracked news about a related concern – the impact the crisis in the Middle East is having on oil prices at home. About two-in-ten (21%) say they followed news about the rising price […]
Knight Foundation – Media Learning Seminar
Lee Rainie discusses research findings about the information needs of communities
