News Interest vs. News Coverage Week of February 19
Overall, Iraq was the dominant news story this past week, both in terms of interest and coverage. Fully 36% of Americans followed news about Iraq very closely, and 34% said it was the story they followed most closely. One-fifth of the news coverage across five major media sectors was devoted to the Iraq policy debate and events on the ground. By comparison, 13% of the public followed the Smith story very closely and 16% said it was their top story. Coverage of Smith’s death and the aftermath made up 10% of the overall newshole and more than one quarter (26%) of cable news coverage – making it the top story by far for that sector.
Other major stories of the week included the 2008 presidential campaign, mounting tensions between the U.S. and Iran, the exposé on conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and the rescue of the Mt. Hood climbers. Public interest in the campaign edged up slightly from the previous week as did coverage – 22% followed campaign news very closely and 12% said this was their top story of the week. Campaign news made up 12% of the newshole with a good deal of the coverage devoted to feuding between the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama camps.
Nearly three-in-ten Americans (29%) followed news about Iran very closely, as the focus shifted back to the nation’s nuclear program, and 9% said this was their top story of the week. Coverage of this story accounted for 5% of the newshole. The public was somewhat less interested in the Walter Reed story – 19% followed it very closely and 5% said it was their top story. Three percent of the week’s news coverage was devoted to this story. One-in-ten Americans paid very close attention to the Mt. Hood story and 4% said it was the story they followed most closely last week. Media coverage was substantial early in the week, but fell off once the climbers had been rescued. Over the entire week, 3% of the newshole was devoted to this story.
News Interest vs. News Coverage  | Week of February 19  | Iraq 34  | 20  | Anna Nicole Smith 16  | 10  | 2008 Campaign 12  | 12  | 8  | 5  | Conflict with Iran  | 3  | Walter Reed  | jult Hood climbers  | 3  | Interest: percent who followed this story most closely  | Coverage: percent of news coverage devoted to story 