Measuring News Interest story Percent "very following each story "very closely Follow most closely'
Though the health care debate dominated news interest and coverage last week, four-in-ten Americans (41%) say they followed news about the economy very closely and 13% say they followed this news more closely than any other major story. Economic news made up 8% of the coverage analyzed by PEJ.
Just more than one-in-ten (12%) say they very closely followed news about drug-related violence in Mexico, while 5% say this was the story they followed most closely. These stories made up 2% of coverage.
Fewer than one-in-ten (8%) say they very closely followed reports about the Vatican’s handling of sex-abuse scandals in the Catholic Church. Just 1% say this was the story they followed most closely. These stories accounted for 1% of coverage.
Measuring News Interest  | story Percent "very following each  | Vyhich Follow one story closely' did you  | story "very closely  | Follow most closely'  | 51  | 53  | Health care  | Economy 41  | 13  | I  | Toyota  | 17  | Mexico violence  | 12  | Middle East 15  | Vatican scandal 8 