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Project for Excellence in Journalism
As Gaddafi Clings to Power, Media Keep Focus on Middle East
For the past six weeks, the U.S. mainstream news media have been consumed by two stories.
From Jan. 24 (when Egyptian protests erupted) through March 6, Middle East turmoil (34%) and the U.S. economy (18%) have made up more than half of the news coverage in the mainstream media studied by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism.
During that time, no other subject has filled more than 3% of the newshole, according to PEJ's News Coverage Index.
The last time we saw two stories command the news agenda for such a lengthy period was the eight weeks from Sept. 6, 2010 to Oct. 31, 2010 when the midterm elections filled 28% of the newshole, the economy accounted for another 12% and no other story registered at more than 3%.
Last week, from Feb. 28-March 6, the continuing unrest in the Middle East accounted for nearly a third (32%) of the newshole studied. Almost 90% of that coverage involved the fighting in Libya, as forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi unleashed counterattacks against anti-government rebels. And Gaddafi's ability to cling to power in the face of widespread resistance became a significant storyline as the media began to address the difficult and potentially divisive issue of whether the U.S. ought to intervene more directly in the fighting.
This marks the fifth time in the past six weeks that the situation in the Middle East has been the No. 1 story.
Economy-related coverage filled 20% of the newshole studied last week. For the third consecutive week, the leading storyline was the standoff between the governor and unions in Wisconsin, although the coverage expanded to look at other states engaged in similar budgetary conflicts. Some good news on the jobs front -- the unemployment rate falling under 9% -- also generated attention late in the week.
Far behind, the third-biggest story (at 3%) was the matter of a potential federal government shutdown. Last week's newsmaker was Congress' decision to pass a two-week funding extension that at least temporarily avoided that shutdown.
The fourth-biggest story involved a celebrity run amok. Attention to actor Charlie Sheen -- who last week embarked on an aggressive media tour that seemed only to raise further doubts about his well-being -- accounted for 2% of the newshole
Coverage of the No. 5 story, health care (2%), was driven by President Obama's offer to allow states to opt out of some provisions of the controversial new health care reform law if they could achieve the desired results on their own -- a move that in another time might have been a much bigger story.