The Dobbs Difference

Recently departed CNN host Lou Dobbs may have left that job because his more opinionated style clashed with the network’s down-the-middle political brand. But a PEJ examination of the content of his show in 2009 also suggests that Dobbs clearly distinguished himself from his colleagues when it came to news priorities.

• 2nd — The Fort Hood Tragedy - When Crime Makes News
• 317% — A Bull Market for Overseas News
• 45% — The War in Afghanistan as a Washington Story
• #3 — Foreign Leaders in U.S. Headlines
• 5:1 — Swine Flu in the Spotlight
• 9% — When Mother Nature Becomes a Story
• No. 1 — Terror Cases in the News
• 6th — Which Lawmakers are also Headline Makers?
• #1 — Politics Puts School Back in the News
• No. 2 — The Missing and the Media
• 12% — Clunkers Make Good Copy
• 213% — The “Other” War Starts Making News

Covering the Great Recession

The economic downturn has made headlines for months. How has the press covered the gravest financial crisis since the Great Depression? What elements of the economic story make the most news? Who is driving the coverage? PEJ addresses these questions and more in a new report on press coverage of the economy.

• The Starting Line--Media Coverage of the Faith-Based Initiative in the First Six Months of 2001 and 2009
• Grim Employment Picture for Communication Grads
• Health News Coverage in the U.S. Media, Early 2009
• Swine Flu Coverage around the World
• Obama's First 100 Days
• Pros and Cons of Measuring Web Traffic--A PEJ Discussion Point
• Online Journalists Express Uneasy Optimism about their Industry
• Local TV News Reports a Drop in Revenue, Ratings
• Radio Is Well Suited For Digital Transition
• Who Fared Best (and Worst) in 2008?

Fort Hood Fallout Leads the News Again: November 9-15, 2009

Coverage of the Army base massacre continued to dominate headlines as some of last week’s coverage examined whether Nidal Malik Hasan should have been stopped before his November 5 attack. And by week’s end, the plan to bring alleged 9/11 conspirators to trial in New York was dominating the headlines.

• NMI — The Fort Hood Tragedy Highlights the Reporting Role of Social Media: November 2-6, 2009
• NCI — The Army Base Massacre Dominates the Week: November 2-8, 2009
• NMI — Bloggers Outraged at a Horrific Assault: October 26-30
• NCI — The Big Three—Health Care, War and the Economy—Dominate Again: October 26-November 1, 2009
• NMI — For the Second Straight Week, Bloggers Focus on Balloon Boy and Global Warming: October 19-23
• NCI — Buzz over Bonuses Drives Coverage of Economy: October 19-25, 2009
• NMI — Global Warming and a Balloon Drama Drive the Online Conversation: October 12-16