http://www.journalism.org/by_the_numbers Journalism.org Numbers Feed en-US http://www.journalism.org/node/28273 The two least covered State of the Union speeches in recent years have had something in common. A PEJ examination of media attention to these major presidential addresses reveals what that is. http://www.journalism.org/node/28171 NewsCorp this week announced plans to launch of a new Spanish-language channel. The industry leader, Univision, is introducing three new channels this spring. The Project for Excellence in Journalism looks at recent data that speaks to the recent influx of Spanish-language programming.  http://www.journalism.org/node/28108 Though the economy and jobs may be the No. 1 issue in the race for president, media coverage of the U.S. financial crisis has declined markedly in recent months. PEJ looks into the possible cause of the drop off. http://www.journalism.org/node/27764 The volatile race for the GOP presidential nomination has made the campaign a major story in recent months. But how has that coverage compared to the attention devoted to the 2008 race for president four years earlier? http://www.journalism.org/node/27650 Once a fixture in the news, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has largely been out of the headlines for the past two months. That comes after a remarkable run of press attention to someone who was never a candidate for the presidency. http://www.journalism.org/node/27386 The sexual abuse charges involving a former coach at Penn State University became a major national story last week. http://www.journalism.org/node/27121 With the announcement of a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by year's end, how much have Americans been hearing about that country in recent years? http://www.journalism.org/node/27043 The anti-Wall Street demonstrations which started in lower Manhattan, but have since sprung up around globe, have been generating increasing media attention in recent weeks. How does coverage of these demonstrations compare with attention to the Tea Party protests in 2009 and 2010? http://www.journalism.org/node/26761 In the five years since Calderon began to crack down on the cartels, the violence in Mexico has claimed the lives of nearly 40,000 people—including 45 journalists. But the story has generated little attention in the U.S. media. How does coverage of the Mexican drug war compare to other issues along the border as well as other international affairs? http://www.journalism.org/node/26543 Sunday September 11 is the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. PEJ examines which issues relating to 9/11 have attracted the most media attention in the past five years. http://www.journalism.org/node/26453 The East African drought and famine has affected 12 million people in the Horn of Africa. But the crisis has generated very little attention in the U.S. media. PEJ investigates the coverage of this crisis as well as other events in Sub-Saharan Africa. http://www.journalism.org/node/26352 The ongoing national economic crisis has remained a major topic in the news since the market crash in 2008. But which economic topics have been highest on the media agenda in 2011? And which have been lower? PEJ examines this year's economic coverage. http://www.journalism.org/node/26264 After a strong second-place showing in the Iowa straw poll, Ron Paul and his supporters accused the press of giving short shrift to his candidacy. PEJ examines how much coverage the presidential and potential presidential candidates have received in 2011 and where Paul ranks on the list.  http://www.journalism.org/node/26097 After President Obama, the top newsmaker among politicians and public officials this year is a congresswoman who survived a deadly shooting spree in January. What other figures have generated significant media attention thus far in 2011 and why have they been in the headlines? http://www.journalism.org/node/26009 The rancorous debt ceiling debate has been an increasingly large news topic as the August 2 deadline draws nearer. If the showdown in part involves a game of assigning blame, which political figures has the media focused on most as the debates continue?  http://www.journalism.org/node/25927 The scandal rocking Rupert Murdoch’s media empire—as well as the highest circles of British politics and law enforcement—has been a major story in the U.S. news media for two weeks. But how has Murdoch’s cable news channel here covered the story? A PEJ examination has some answers. http://www.journalism.org/node/25849 Last week’s not guilty outcome in the Casey Anthony murder trial generated major media attention, registering as the No. 2 story of the week. How does coverage of that decision compare to other high-profile court cases since PEJ began the News Coverage Index more than four years ago? http://www.journalism.org/node/25761 In the first half of 2011, foreign events weighed heavily in the U.S. news media agenda. The Arab Spring, Japan tsunami, and the death of Osama bin Laden were just some of the issues making foreign news so big. How does the coverage of these foreign issues compare to international coverage the last four years?  http://www.journalism.org/node/25674 Michele Bachmann just announced her formal bid for the White House. This is following strong showings in Iowa polls and debate appearances. But how does coverage of the congresswoman compare to her running mates and to perhaps her biggest rival Sarah Palin? Is momentum beginning to shift? http://www.journalism.org/node/25519 Scott Pelley made his debut as anchor of the CBS Evening News June 6—the same day Anthony Weiner admitted to sending lewd photographs using Twitter. How did Pelley cover the scandal compared with rival networks? http://www.journalism.org/node/25502 In a move that has generated plenty of media interest, former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann will debut his “Countdown” show on the Current TV cable network on June 20. That could represent something of a new start for a young cable operation that is searching for eyeballs and attention. http://www.journalism.org/node/25416 The 2012 presidential election may have started off more slowly than four years ago, with candidates only recently beginning their formal campaigns. But the race has picked up recently, and so has the media’s attention. How has coverage changed this year and how does it compare to that of 2008 Presidential Race? http://www.journalism.org/node/25333 It wasn’t long ago that protests in Egypt and fighting in Libya were driving the mainstream news agenda. Today, significant violence and unrest continue to roil the region, but the story unfolds largely out of the glare of the media spotlight. PEJ looks at how coverage of the Middle East turmoil has plunged in recent weeks. http://www.journalism.org/node/25249 President Obama’s May 19 Mideast speech and his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu generated major media attention last week. But how does this attention compare to other Israeli-related events? The Project for Excellence in Journalism examines which events put the country in the spotlight over the last four years. http://www.journalism.org/node/25152 Prior to his death on May 1, Osama bin Laden had become something of a forgotten figure in the U.S. media. Indeed, a PEJ examination of four years of coverage of the al Qaeda leader finds that over that period of time, he basically generated coverage for only one thing—the release of threatening tapes. http://www.journalism.org/node/24794 The earthquake, tsunami and continued radiation threat in Japan have become a major media story over the past five weeks. PEJ examines how the media have handled this ongoing and complicated story and looks at how coverage of this disaster compares with another recent earthquake. http://www.journalism.org/node/24709 The media paid a great deal of attention to last week’s budget crisis, which threatened to shutter the federal government before it was resolved with an eleventh-hour deal. But those dramatics proved to be only the fourth-biggest story about Capitol Hill showdowns in the past four years. What other legislative battles made even more news? http://www.journalism.org/node/24623 In the past four years, it has been the rare story that has commanded at least half the media coverage in a given week. But in 2011, a series of dramatic events—including a natural disaster, protests and revolution and a shooting rampage—have all crossed that threshold in the first three months. http://www.journalism.org/node/24562 Given the growth of digital news audiences, newspapers can now attract readers with both the print product and the online version. But new data show that a number of papers saw their combined audience decline in 2010. http://www.journalism.org/node/24254 It was a subject that captivated the U.S. media during the heated town hall confrontations in the summer of 2009 and generated major coverage as the legislative battle came to a head in early 2010. But since it became law, health care reform has had a difficult time generating headlines. http://www.journalism.org/node/24162 The continuing demonstrations and violence that have rippled through much of the Middle East and North Africa in the past two months have commanded the attention of the U.S. media. But in a story that has kept journalists moving from hot spot to hot spot, which countries have generated the most attention? http://www.journalism.org/node/24112 Much of the media attention last week was focused on Wisconsin where, in a story with national implications, unions battled the governor over his plan to curtail their collective bargaining rights. What other state house and state policy issues have attracted the press spotlight in recent years? http://www.journalism.org/node/24025 Former USDA official Shirley Sherrod recently filed suit against blogger and activist Andrew Breitbart for posting a deceptive clip of a speech that quickly led to a forced resignation. An analysis of 30 years of First Amendment cases reveals how media defendants tend to fare in such courtroom battles. http://www.journalism.org/node/23917 The recent turmoil in the Middle East has proved to be the biggest international story of the past four years—topping coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the earthquake in Haiti. How many of those stories were reported directly from Egypt and the surrounding region?  And which media sectors provided the most on-scene coverage? http://www.journalism.org/node/23821 At this time four years ago, the media were already tracking a 2008 presidential race that featured historic candidacies by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Thus far in 2011, coverage of the next presidential contest is virtually non-existent, accounting for about 10% of the attention it received in January 2007. PEJ looks at what a difference four years makes. http://www.journalism.org/node/23692 China dominated U.S. front pages this past week when Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Washington, D.C. The Project for Excellence in Journalism examines what other events and issues have put China on the U.S. media’s radar in the last four years. http://www.journalism.org/node/23461 This week, the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives relinquished her gavel as Republicans assumed control of that legislative body. But in the past two years, Pelosi—both as a legislator and political symbol— generated a substantial amount of coverage. PEJ looks at when and why Pelosi generated those headlines. http://www.journalism.org/node/23337 Christine O’Donnell, Shirley Sherrod, and Elena Kagan jumped from near obscurity to household names in 2010. What other famous females were there this past year? The Project for Excellence in Journalism looks back at all the top ten women newsmakers of 2010. http://www.journalism.org/node/23180 Recently censured Congressman Charles Rangel may have been the latest politician to generate headlines about corruption, infidelity or various misdeeds. But in terms of media attention, his ethics case was somewhat down the list of top scandal stories. A PEJ analysis reveals which other officials made that roster http://www.journalism.org/node/23082 Airport security generated a significant amount of attention as travel ramped up this November—much of it focused on the full body scans and new pat down procedures. But with a few exceptions, air travel safety procedures have not generated much coverage in the past few years. When else has the TSA made news? http://www.journalism.org/node/23032 In a week in which the blogosphere also reacted to a number of Beltway-based stories, the top subject was one mainstream media stalwart’s assessment of the current state of the news industry. How much and what kind of a response did Ted Koppel’s recent column generate?  http://www.journalism.org/node/22966 George W. Bush recently made headlines thanks to the release of his memoir, Decision Points, and the accompanying media tour. But several other books about his administration have drawn even more media attention. How does the coverage of Decision Points stack up with other book releases that made significant news in the past few years? http://www.journalism.org/node/22875 The recently uncovered Yemen- based attempt to launch an attack aimed at the U.S. homeland made its share of headlines in recent weeks. But in terms of coverage, it still ranks well below some other terror episodes in the past three years. PEJ looks at which of these stories have generated the most attention in the mainstream media.  http://www.journalism.org/node/22729 Whether the 2010 congressional elections prove to be a referendum on him or not, Barack Obama has been the top newsmaker in this election cycle. But a PEJ look at the other top politicians reveals a strong showing by tea party candidates and a fascination with a heated gubernatorial fight. http://www.journalism.org/node/22645 NPR’s controversial firing of analyst Juan Williams became a media boomlet last week generating commentary from many quarters. How big a story was it compared with other media stories that have made big news in recent years? PEJ looks at the list of top newsmakers from the news industry since January 2007. http://www.journalism.org/node/22380 When technology generates headlines in the mainstream press—and it’s not all that often—what storylines drive that coverage? A recent PEJ report examined a year’s worth of tech stories and found a mix of domestic and global events at the top of the list. And some of them focused on the products of one high-tech powerhouse. http://www.journalism.org/node/22283 The unsuccessful effort last week to repeal the military’s ban against openly gay men and women put the subject of gay rights into the headlines. That doesn’t happen all that often, according to a PEJ examination of coverage in the past three years. But what subjects dominate when the debate over gay rights does generate substantial media attention? http://www.journalism.org/node/22196 The financial woes facing the United States have been a major topic since the near collapse of Wall Street in September 2008. Economic coverage has certainly receded from the lofty levels in late 2008 and early 2009, but it remains a staple of the mainstream media menu. How much attention has the topic generated in 2010, and which economic storylines have received the most coverage? http://www.journalism.org/node/22082 The recent furor over plans to burn the Koran on the anniversary of September 11 generated a large amount of media coverage, attention that was widely criticized, for a previously unknown Florida pastor. Which other people have gained their fifteen minutes of fame by leaping from obscurity to the media spotlight this year? http://www.journalism.org/node/22029 Glenn Beck’s recent rally in Washington D.C. drew not only rally participants, but significant media attention as well. How does coverage of this event compare with that of other rallies in the United States over the last three years?