Analysis: Our Studies, Commentaries and Backgrounders

This section, Analysis, is the complete archive of all the research studies, commentaries, background reports, articles, or speeches PEJ has published. They are listed below in chronological order, but our archive is also searchable. Use the menus on the left to filter the contents and find exactly what you want.
  • What Americans Learned From the Media About the Health Care Debate

    PEJ examines how the health care debate was presented in the press, which party won the messaging war and how the bill has largely disappeared from view.
  • Facebook IPO Not Selling on Social Media

    The Facebook IPO was a hot topic on blogs, Twitter and Facebook last week with doubts about the stock’s value exceeding bullishness on the investment.  And the topics of conversation—which ranged from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s wedding to co-founder Eduardo Saverin’s citizenship—varied by social media platform.
  • Gingrich Bows Out as the General Election Battle Takes Shape

    Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich ended his presidential campaign with a final week of unflattering and relatively sparse coverage and Mitt Romney's campaign narrative appeared to benefit from some high profile endorsements.

  • How the Media Covered the 2012 Primary Campaign

    As the 2012 presidential race shifts from the GOP primary battle to the general election matchup between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, a new PEJ study reveals what the public has been told about the two candidates by the media.  It also finds that Mitt Romney emerged as the winner of the media primary weeks before Rick Santorum dropped out.
  • 72% of Americans Follow Local News Closely

    Local news enthusiasts follow a diverse set of topics, but rely heavily on local newspapers to keep them informed, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism and Internet & American Life Project that examined the ways people get news and information about 16 different topics, ranging from breaking news to weather.
  • How Blogs, Twitter and Mainstream Media Have Handled the Trayvon Martin Case: Special Report

    It took several weeks after the killing of teenager Trayvon Martin before the story exploded in the media. A new PEJ report reveals how social and mainstream media platforms focused on different elements of the controversy and how ideology influenced coverage on the cable and radio talk shows.
  • The Search for a New Business Model

    How close are America's beleaguered newspapers to solving their revenue problems? A new report from PEJ that includes detailed case studies of dozens of daily papers and interviews with newspaper company executives finds an industry struggling to reinvent itself, but also some hopeful success stories.
  • Religion in the News

    The biggest religion stories during 2011 centered on tensions over Islam and the U.S. presidential campaign, with more than half of the politically-focused coverage involving Republican hopeful Mitt Romney and his Mormon faith, according to a new study.
  • Digital Advertising and News

    With digital ad revenue projected to overtake all other platforms by 2016, it is the key to the financial future of news. Are news organizations transitioning their legacy advertisers to online platforms? A PEJ report analyzing more than 5,000 ads from 22 news outlets offers answers.
  • On Twitter, Still Tough Going for Komen

    After the furor over its decision to defund Planned Parenthood, the Susan G. Komen foundation reversed course and a key official resigned.