Analysis: Our Studies

This section, Studies, contains PEJ's major empirical research studies, including our annual reports on the state of journalism divided into searchable subchapters. They are listed below in chronological order. Or you can use the menus on the left to filter our entire archive and find exactly what you want.
  • Swine Flu Coverage around the World

    The swine flu story quickly topped the American media agenda when the story broke in late April. How did coverage in other countries compare with the U.S.? Was there any correlation between the number of confirmed cases and quantity or nature of coverage? How did Spanish-language media in the U.S. react? A new report examining press coverage of the outbreak in several countries offers answers.
  • Obama's First 100 Days

    How have the news media covered the early days of the Obama presidency? How does that coverage stack up against that of his predecessors? A new study examines the tone and focus of Obama’s media narrative and how compares it to Bill Clinton’s and George Bush’s.
  • The New Washington Press Corps: A Special Report

    In the past two decades, the makeup of the Washington D.C. press corps has been fundamentally transformed. While the old media have shrunk alarmingly, two new elements have risen up to virtually replace them in number. What are the implications for news consumers in the U.S. and abroad?
  • Health News Coverage in the U.S. Media

    At a time when health care is a major public policy issue, how have the U.S. media covered the complex subject of health? A new report from PEJ and the Kaiser Family Foundation examines those questions.
  • How the News Media Covered Religion in the 2008 General Election

    What was the big religion story of the general election? A new study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism in conjunction with the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life examines how the media covered religious matters.
  • The Color of News

    How have different press outlets covered the 2008 general election? Do cable news channels have clear ideological differences? How does broadcast coverage compare to print? A follow up study to PEJ’s Winning the Media Campaign study focuses on the tone of coverage across media sectors and outlets.
  • Winning the Media Campaign

    With fewer than two weeks left before election day, how has the press covered the race for president? How has the tone of McCain’s coverage compared with Obama’s, or Palin’s. A new PEJ study from the conventions through the last debate offers answers.
  • Every Now and Again--A Study on News Coverage of Immigration

    How do the news media cover the issue of immigration? A new PEJ study, produced in collaboration with the Brookings Institution and The University of Southern California Norman Lear Center, reveals the uneven, and episodic nature of the media's approach, based on a close look at the year 2007.
  • How the Media Have Handled Palin’s Religious Faith

    Since being named to the GOP ticket by John McCain, Sarah Palin has generated extensive coverage of many aspects of her background, her record in public office and her family life. But what are voters learning from the media about the Alaska Governor’s religious faith and beliefs?
  • McCain vs. Obama on the Web

    The 2008 race for the White House has been dubbed the first Internet election. What presence have the candidates established online? Has one taken more advantage of this new platform? A new PEJ study examines John McCain and Barack Obama’s Web sites to assess the online campaign.