2008-07-08-皮尤-Interest_In_Gas_Prices_Remains_High_14页_73kb

News Interest Summary: July 9, 2008

Top News Interest

• Public top story: Rising gasoline prices (62% closely followed).
• Gasoline prices overshadowed the presidential campaign in public interest.

Media vs. Public Interest

• Gas Prices:
  • Public Interest: 62% followed closely.
  • Media Coverage: 7% of news coverage.
• 2008 Presidential Campaign:
  • Public Interest: 15% closely followed.
  • Media Coverage: 26% of news coverage.
• Other High Interest:
  • Hostage rescue: 25% closely followed by public (8% media coverage).
  • Situation in Iraq: 19% closely followed by public (3% media coverage).
  • Stock market: 7% closely followed by public (1% media coverage for related economic news).

Presidential Candidates

• Media Coverage (Campaign News):
  • Barack Obama featured in 73% of campaign stories.
  • John McCain featured in 62% of campaign stories.
• Public Visibility (Heard most about in news):
  • Barack Obama: 71% of adults.
  • John McCain: 11% of adults.

Other Significant Stories

• Food Safety: High public interest in salmonella outbreak (66% heard a lot).
• Economic Issues: Public closely tracked Ford/GM sales drops (34% heard a lot) and Starbucks store closures (24% heard a lot).
• International: British hostage rescue generated less interest than 2007's similar story.

Key Takeaways

• Public interest greatly exceeded media coverage for most topics.
• Gasoline prices captured the most attention from both public and press.
• President Obama received significantly more attention from the media and was more visible to the public than John McCain.
• Consumer issues (food, economy) and international events drew considerable public interest as well.