News Interest vs. News Coverage
The national news media focused heavily on the presidential race last week – devoting 50% of its overall coverage to the campaign, according to PEJ. Public interest was split evenly between the campaign and the rising price of gasoline. Two-thirds of the public paid very close attention to news about gas prices last week – unchanged from the previous week and up moderately from early last month. Fully 37% listed gas prices as the single news story they were following more closely than any other last week, roughly equal to the proportion (36%) naming the campaign as their most closely followed story.
News Interest vs. News Coverage  | June I a  | 37  | Gas prices  | 2008 Campaign  | 36  | 50  | Unemployment  | Global warming  | Interest: percent who followed this story most closely  | Coverage: percent of news coverage devoted to story 