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Project for Excellence in Journalism
Democrats in Congress Top the Week's News
The Debut of the PEJ News Coverage Index
The changing of the political guard in Washington, the death of a president and the hanging of a dictator were enough to overshadow the war in Iraq in the American news media last week, according to the inaugural edition of the PEJ News Coverage Index.
In the first week of 2007 -- December 31 to January 5 -- the top story was the official takeover by new Democratic Congressional leadership, which made up 15% of the overall newshole. That was followed by the death and state funeral of Gerald R. Ford (12%). The debate over U.S. Iraq policy finished third at 9%. By week's end, it edged out the execution of Saddam Hussein at 8%, a story made bigger by the subsequent fallout over the taunting by his guards.
Events on the ground in Iraq was the fifth biggest story at 4%, dominated by the announcement that the U.S. death toll had passed the 3,000 mark. In another week, that grim milestone by itself might have pushed the bloodshed in Iraq toward the top of the list.
That busy news agenda was also enough to knock off the list what otherwise might have been top stories, such as the snowstorm in the Rockies and the Ethiopian military assault on Islamists in Somalia, an event with far-reaching implications for U.S. policy. Somalia made the top-five list only online, and the snowstorm only on network TV.
The PEJ's News Coverage Index, which will be released every Tuesday, is an ongoing study of the news agenda of a wide swath of the American press, measuring the topics covered in 48 different outlets from five sectors of the American media. (See a List of Outlets.) The Index is an attempt to provide an empirical look at what the media are and aren't covering, the trajectories of major stories and differences among news platforms. We believe it is the largest continuing study of the media agenda ever attempted. (See About the News Coverage Index.)