2008-04-23-皮尤-More_Americans_View_Campaign_As_Too_Negative_16页_77kb

报告摘要

Summary of the April 24, 2008, Pew Research Center Press Release

This report analyzes the state of the U.S. presidential campaign leading up to the Pennsylvania primary, based on survey data released on April 24, 2008. Key findings highlight a significant decline in public interest in the campaign, primarily due to increasingly negative perceptions of its tone and content.

Public Interest Decline: News attention to the presidential campaign dropped sharply, with only 29% of Americans following it closely in late April 2008, the lowest level since December 2007. Interest fell across all political groups, with Democratic attention decreasing the most since February, from over half to 38%. Additionally, 50% of Americans now view the campaign as too negative, up from 28% in early February, while campaign dullness rose to 35%, and its perceived length increased to 65%.
Impact of Obama's Controversial Statement: The controversy surrounding Barack Obama's "bitter" statement about small-town Americans dominated media coverage for the week, focusing on 25% of campaign stories. Its public awareness was high, with 52% of Americans having heard a lot about it, comparable to other major events like the campaign debates and Obama's earlier March speech. The debate between Obama and Clinton also drew significant attention, with 42% saying they heard a lot about it.
Media Coverage Trends: Overall news coverage of the campaign decreased, averaging around 30% of media attention, compared to higher levels in February and March. Campaign news received the most coverage from cable TV and talk radio, but was surpassed by stories on the economy and international events like the Pope's visit and polygamist raid in Texas.
Candidate Views and Visibility: Obama remained the most visible candidate, with 55% of the public naming him as the most talked-about in the news. His favorability opinions stayed steady, but perceptions of the campaign's negativity disproportionately affected Democrats. John McCain saw modest support shifts, and Hillary Clinton experienced declining approval with 31% of Democrats reporting a less favorable opinion, versus 24% for Obama. Favorability for candidates generally remained unchanged.
Broader News Context: Economic news was second in interest, with 41% closely following it. Events like the polygamist raid and Pope's visit attracted moderate but less intense public interest. The report tracks long-term trends, noting the role of previous elections and comparison data.
Methodology: The findings are based on the News Interest Index survey, combining public opinion data with media coverage analysis from sources like the Project for Excellence in Journalism. The survey sampled 1,009 adults and accounted for sampling errors.