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.
  • Understanding the Participatory News Consumer

    An overwhelming majority of Americans get their news from multiple news platforms. Which media sectors do people in the U.S rely on most? How has the internet and mobile technology changed the way people consume news? A joint PEJ-Pew Internet survey examines how internet and cell phone users have transformed news into a social experience.
  • How News Happens

    A new PEJ study investigates where news comes from in today’s rapidly changing media landscape. An examination of local media in Baltimore provides insight on how the U.S. media ecosystem works. What role do new media, blogs and specialty news sites play in the news cycle? Who is breaking news? Which reports advanced the story? The study answers these questions and more.
  • Hispanics in the News

    Hispanics are already the largest minority group in the United States, 16% of the population,—and that percentage is expected to nearly double by the middle of this century. How is this growing population portrayed in the American news media? A new study produced jointly by PEJ and the Pew Hispanic Center looks at coverage of Hispanics over six months of 2009.
  • 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

    One common thread between the Obama and Bush administrations is their commitment to advancing the "faith-based" initiative. Yet a new study by PEJ and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life finds that the media created two very different narratives in the early days of the two presidencies.
  • Grim Employment Picture for Communication Grads

    The 2008 class of journalism and communications graduates is suffering the worst job prospects on record, according to a new report from the University of Georgia. And as those numbers seem to be reflected in growing pessimism about the news industry among degree recipients, it’s forcing many of them to be more flexible about career aspirations.
  • Health News Coverage in the U.S. Media, Early 2009

    Coverage of health news is on the rise according to an examination of media coverage from January to June 2009. Which health news topics generated the biggest headlines in 2009? What media sectors pay the most attention to health care? These questions and more are answered in a new study, produced by PEJ and the Kaiser Family Foundation.
  • 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.
  • Pros and Cons of Measuring Web Traffic--A PEJ Discussion Point

    News web sites can instantly measure which stories and features are popular and which are bombing at the online box office. How are journalists using this instantaneous data, and is the net effect positive or not?