Topline – Part 1

PEJ News Coverage Index
April 1 – June 29, 2007

All Media
Top Stories
(Percent of Newshole)

2nd QTR Rank	Story	All Media
		1st QTR	2nd QTR	YTD
1	2008 Campaign	7.4%	8.5%	8.0%
2	Events in Iraq*	6.8	6.7	6.7
3	Iraq Policy Debate*	12.4	6.6	9.5
4	Immigration	1.5	5.7	3.6
5	VA Tech Shootings	n/a	4.9	2.5
6	Don Imus	n/a	2.4	1.2
7	Iran	3.4	2.1	2.8
8	Fired Attorneys	3.6	1.9	2.8
9	Iraq Homefront*	3.0	1.5	2.3
10	Palestinian Conflict	0.1	1.4	0.8
11	Global Warming	1.4	1.2	1.3
12	TB Traveler	n/a	1.1	0.6
13	Domestic Terrorism	1.5	1.1	1.3
14	US Economic Numbers	0.9	1.0	0.9
15	Afghanistan	1.1	0.9	1.0
Iraq War Total (sum of the three starred stories)		22.2%	14.8%	18.5%

Note: All other stories were less than 0.9% for the 2^nd quarter.

Newshole is defined as the time or space available in an outlet for news content.

 

All Media
Geographic Focus
(Percent of Newshole)

Geographic Focus	All
	1st QTR	2nd QTR	YTD
US National	63%	65%	64%
US Interests Abroad	27	23	25
Foreign(Non-US)	8	12	10
Local*	1	<1	1
No Specific Geographic Focus	<1	<1	<1

Note: For newspapers, we do not include a local newspaper story in our study unless that story also falls into the realm of one of the Top Stories we are tracking at the time.

Newspapers
Top Stories
(Percent of Newshole)

2nd QTR Rank	Story	All		Top Tier		Second Tier		Third Tier
		QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD
1	2008 Campaign	7.7%	7.4%	7.6%	7.3%	10.1%	10.8%	3.6%	2.7%
2	Events in Iraq*	7.1	6.8	7.2	7.0	7.6	7.4	5.7	5.0
3	Immigration	5.1	3.8	4.7	3.5	6.5	4.8	6.1	4.6
4	Iraq Policy Debate*	4.5	5.9	3.7	5.3	5.0	5.9	10.3	11.6
5	VA Tech Shootings	3.4	1.7	2.6	1.4	5.4	2.7	6.7	3.1
6	Iraq Homefront*	2.5	3.2	1.4	2.3	4.1	5.9	9.7	6.4
7	US Economic Numbers	1.7	1.4	1.4	1.4	2.9	1.6	2.2	1.5
8	Fired Attorneys	1.6	2.1	1.3	1.8	3.8	4.1	0.9	1.8
9	Palestinian Conflict	1.5	0.8	1.3	0.7	2.8	1.5	0.7	0.3
10	Global Warming	1.4	1.4	1.2	1.1	2.4	3.0	1.8	1.9
Iraq War Total (sum of the three starred stories)		14.1%	15.9%	12.3%	14.6%	16.7%	19.2%	25.7%	23.0%

Note: All other stories were less than 1.4% for all newspapers in the 2^nd quarter.

 

Newspapers
Geographic Focus
(Percent of Newshole)

Geographic Focus	All		Top Tier		Second Tier		Third Tier
	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD
US National	64%	64%	62%	62%	70%	65%	71%	70%
US Interests Abroad	21	22	21	22	20	22	21	20
Foreign(Non-US)	14	12	17	15	7	5	2	1
Local*	1	3	1	1	3	9	7	8
No Specific Geographic Focus	<1	<1	<1	<1	0	0	0	0

Note: For newspapers, we do not include a local newspaper story in our study unless that story also falls into the realm of one of the Top Stories we are tracking at the time.

 

Online
Top Stories
(Percent of Newshole)

2nd QTR Rank	Story	All		AOL News		CNN.com		Google News		MSNBC.com		Yahoo News
		QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD
1	Events in Iraq*	13.1	12.7	9.8	11.2	13.9	15.1	10.9	7.5	11.4	11.2	19.7	18.9
2	Iraq Policy Debate*	5.3	7.2	5.7	7.6	3.8	6.3	7.4	9.1	4.6	6.2	5.1	7.0
3	2008 Campaign	4.9	4.5	5.6	4.8	5.6	4.6	4.9	5.1	5.7	5.7	2.4	2.0
4	VA Tech Shootings	3.8	1.9	3.5	1.7	6.1	3.1	1.1	0.6	4.5	2.3	3.6	1.8
5	Immigration	3.0	1.7	3.3	1.9	4.5	2.6	3.0	1.6	2.3	1.5	2.3	1.2
6	Iran	3.0	4.2	3.3	4.6	3.3	3.7	3.4	4.6	1.4	3.0	4.0	5.2
7	Fired Attorneys	2.8	3.3	2.9	3.3	2.9	3.4	3.7	4.2	3.4	3.6	0.8	1.8
8	Palestinian Conflict	2.7	1.6	1.3	0.8	1.8	0.9	4.0	2.8	3.0	1.6	3.4	1.9
9	Israeli/Palestinian Conflict	2.1	1.8	1.5	1.0	1.7	1.4	1.1	2.0	2.1	1.2	3.9	3.7
10	Russia/US relations (added 6/1/07)	2.1	1.0	2.0	1.0	1.3	0.6	4.0	2.1	1.4	0.7	1.7	0.9
16	Iraq Homefront*	1.1	1.5	1.0	1.2	0.2	0.7	1.4	2.1	2.7	2.7	0	0.2
Iraq War Total (sum of the three starred stories)		19.5	21.4	16.5	20.0	17.9	22.1	19.7	18.7	18.7	20.1	24.8	26.1

Note: All other stories were less than 2.1% for all online in the 2^nd quarter.

Online
Geographic Focus
(Percent of Newshole)

Geographic Focus	All		AOL News		CNN.com		Google News		MSNBC.com		Yahoo News
	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD
US National	47%	47%	58%	54%	54%	53%	31%	33%	57%	58%	33%	35%
US Interests Abroad	29	31	26	30	26	27	34	32	24	27	38	39
Foreign(Non-US)	23	22	16	15	21	20	34	35	18	15	29	26
No Specific Geographic Focus	<1	<1	0	0	0	0	0	0	<1	<1	<1	<1

 

Network TV
Top Stories
(Percent of Newshole)

2nd QTR Rank	Story	All		Morning		Evening (ABC, CBS, NBC)		ABC Total		CBS Total		NBC Total		PBS Evening
		QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD
1	Events in Iraq*	7.1	7.4	4.5	4.6	7.1	8.4	5.4	6.7	6.7	6.7	5.6	6.4	11.4	10.3
2	2008 Campaign	6.6	6.7	11.1	11.5	3.7	4.2	6.8	7.4	5.6	6.1	9.2	9.3	4.4	3.4
3	Iraq Policy Debate*	6.4	10.7	5.3	8.9	5.1	7.7	4.3	7.4	4.6	7.3	6.6	10.0	10.7	19.2
4	VA Tech Shootings	5.4	2.7	5.5	2.8	6.3	3.2	5.7	2.9	6.2	3.1	5.8	2.9	3.7	1.8
5	Immigration	3.7	2.0	2.5	1.2	3.2	1.9	3.2	1.8	2.9	1.6	2.5	1.5	6.6	3.3
6	Iran	2.5	2.6	2.3	2.5	1.7	1.8	2.2	2.3	2.3	2.2	1.7	1.8	4.0	4.1
7	Don Imus	2.1	1.0	3.6	1.8	1.7	0.9	2.2	1.1	2.5	1.3	3.1	1.6	0.1	0.1
8	Iraq Home-front*	2.0	3.3	0.8	1.0	3.0	4.4	2.4	3.3	1.2	2.5	2.3	2.5	2.2	5.0
9	TB Traveler	1.7	0.8	2.0	1.0	1.5	0.8	2.6	1.3	1.4	0.7	1.2	0.6	1.3	0.7
10	Global Warming	1.5	1.3	0.3	0.7	1.8	1.6	1.4	1.3	1.1	1.2	0.9	1.0	2.7	1.9
Iraq War Total (sum of the three starred stories)		15.5	21.4	10.6	14.5	15.2	20.5	12.1	17.4	12.5	16.5	14.5	18.9	24.3	34.5

Note: All other stories were less than 1.5% for all Network TV in the 2^nd quarter.

Network TV
Geographic Focus
(Percent of Newshole)

Geogra-phic Focus	All		Morning		Evening (ABC, CBS, NBC)		ABC Total		CBS Total		NBC Total		PBS Evening
	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD
US National	64%	65%	72%	72%	67%	68%	70%	70%	69%	71%	69%	70%	47%	45%
US Interests Abroad	26	28	20	21	25	25	22	23	23	23	22	24	39	44
Foreign(Non-US)	9	7	8	6	8	7	8	6	8	6	9	7	14	11
No Specific Geographic Focus	<1	<1	<1	<1	<1	<1	<1	<1	0	0	<1	<1	0	0

 

2nd QTRRank	Story	All		Daytime		Evening		CNN		Fox News		MSNBC
		QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD
1	2008 Campaign	12.4	10.8	4.6	6.0	14.4	12.1	8.7	7.6	9.6	9.2	21.3	17.7
2	Iraq Policy Debate*	9.2	12.4	4.6	6.9	10.4	13.8	10.1	12.2	5.0	7.6	13.3	19.4
3	Immigration	7.5	4.9	4.2	2.5	8.3	5.6	9.2	6.5	7.9	5.0	4.6	2.6
4	VA Tech Shootings	7.2	3.6	8.9	4.5	6.7	3.4	8.5	4.3	6.5	3.2	6.1	3.1
5	Don Imus	4.6	2.3	1.5	0.7	5.4	2.7	4.6	2.3	4.0	2.0	5.4	2.7
6	Events in Iraq*	3.8	4.2	2.8	3.2	4.0	4.4	6.4	6.9	2.7	2.9	1.5	2.1
7	Iran	2.7	3.5	1.6	2.5	3.0	3.7	2.5	3.4	4.2	4.1	1.0	2.6
8	Fired Attorneys	2.0	3.1	1.3	1.6	2.2	3.5	2.0	2.8	0.7	1.4	3.7	5.9
9	TB Traveler	1.9	0.9	4.6	2.3	1.2	0.6	2.6	1.3	1.2	0.6	1.7	0.9
10	Ohio Missing Pregnant Woman	1.7	0.8	2.4	1.2	1.5	0.7	1.2	0.6	2.1	1.0	1.7	0.9
19	Iraq Homefront*	0.7	1.5	0.5	1.0	0.7	1.6	1.3	2.2	0.2	0.9	0.3	1.4
Iraq War Total (sum of the three starred stories)		13.7	18.1	7.9	11.1	15.1	19.8	17.8	21.3	7.9	11.4	15.1	22.9

Note: All other stories were less than 1.7% for all Cable TV in the 2^nd quarter.

 

Cable TV
Geographic Focus
(Percent of Newshole)

Geographic Focus	All		Daytime		Evening		CNN		Fox News		MSNBC
	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD	QTR	YTD
US National	74%	71%	81%	78%	72%	69%	67%	64%	76%	75%	81%	74%
US Interests Abroad	21	25	13	17	24	27	27	30	19	20	17	25
Foreign(Non-US)	5	4	6	5	4	4	6	5	5	5	2	1
No Specific Geographic Focus	<1	<1	0	0	<1	<1	<1	<1	0	0	<1	<1