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Project for Excellence in Journalism
Crisis Coverage: From Japan to Libya
The U.S. media began a challenging and dramatic week mobilized to cover growing radiation fears in Japan. They ended it reporting on U.S. military intervention in Libya's civil war.
For the week of March 14-20, the still unfolding drama at a Japanese nuclear facility and continuing coverage of the humanitarian catastrophe there accounted for 57% of the newshole, according to the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism. That makes it the third-biggest story in a single week since PEJ began tracking news coverage in 2007.
Things changed dramatically, however, on Thursday, March 17 when the United Nations voted to enact a no-fly zone in Libyan air space to be enforced by the U.S. and its allies. At that point, the priorities of the mainstream media shifted abruptly.
From Monday through Thursday, the situation in Japan accounted for nearly two-thirds of the overall coverage (64%) while the Middle East accounted for only 10%. But on Friday, the Libyan crisis generated more attention than Japan and remained atop the headlines throughout the weekend.
The military action in Libya -- combined with a small amount of attention to Bahrain, Egypt and other troubled countries in the region -- was the No. 2 story, accounting for 17% of the newshole and relegating Japan to secondary status by the end of the week.
With these two top events combining for 74% of the coverage studied, overseas stories have now led the news agenda for seven out of the past eight weeks. Indeed, from Jan. 24 (when the protests heated up in Egypt) until March 20, foreign news has accounted for more than 40% of the overall U.S. media newshole, about twice the usual level of attention.
The extensive focus on events in Libya and Japan left little room for other stories. Well back at No. 3 (5%), was the U.S. economy. The newsmakers there included a Wisconsin judge blocking the recently passed bill that would limit collective bargaining rights for public employees and the House of Representatives voting to defund NPR, which has turned into something of a partisan issue.
At No. 4 (2%) was the 2012 presidential election. No single theme emerged in the coverage, although some pundits did make arguments that two of the country's best-known politicians -- the president and former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin -- would face some significant electoral obstacles.
The U.S. education system was the fifth-biggest story (2%) as several news reports highlighted the impending ten-year anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act, which President Obama said he wants rewritten before the next school year.