News Interest % following each story closely Which one story did you follow most closely?
About a third (35%) say they followed news about winter storms in the eastern United States very closely; 16% say this was the news they followed most closely. Not surprisingly, interest was highest in the north east and the south.
More than one-in-ten (13%) say they followed news about floods in Australia very closely; 3% say this was the news they followed most closely. Two other breaking foreign stories barely registered with the public. Just 4% say they followed news about the collapse of the Lebanese government very closely; 1% says this was the news they followed most closely. And 3% say they followed news about the independence vote in southern Sudan very closely. Less than 1% say this was the story they followed most closely.
News Interest  | % following each story closely  | Which one story did you follow most closely?  | Ariz. shooting  | 49  | 49  | Winter storms  | 35  | 16  | Economy  | 37  | 12  | 3  | 13  | Floods in Australia  | Lebanese gov collaps e  | Southern Sudan vote  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER, January 13-16 2011 