News Interest vs. News Coverage June 16-22 Floods in Midwest 38
Roughly four-in-ten (39%) followed the floods in the Midwest very closely, up from 34% a week earlier. The floods were the public’s top story last week with twice as many people citing the floods as their most closely followed story than cited the presidential campaign (38% vs. 19%). By contrast, news organizations devoted somewhat more coverage to the campaign than to the flooding. Still, public interest in Midwestern flooding is far lower than it was for the region’s historic 1993 floods. In August 1993, nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) followed the flooding very closely.
News Interest vs. News Coverage  | June 16-22  | Floods in Midwest 38  | 16  | 2008 Campaign  | 19  | 23  | Situation in Iraq  | 11  | Gay marriage  | Afghanistan  | Terrorism bill  | Interest: percent who followed this story most closely  | Coverage: percent of news coverage devoted to story 