2010-08-24-皮尤-Mosque_Debate_Tops_Coverage,_But_Not_News_Interest_16页_63kb

Summary of Pew Research Center News Interest Index Report (August 2010)

The Pew Research Center's weekly News Interest Index survey (August 19-22, 2010) measured public interest in major news stories and compared it to media coverage. The survey included 1,003 adults.

Key Findings on News Interest:

• The Gulf oil leak was the most closely followed story by the public, with 41% tracking it very closely.
• Economic news had high interest at 39%.
• The NYC Islamic cultural center/mosque debate drew significant interest from Republicans (44%) but was less followed overall, with 31% of the public paying close attention.
• News about the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq was followed closely by 31%.
• Congressional elections had moderate interest at 19%.
• Other stories like the floods in Pakistan had low interest.

Comparison of News Interest and Coverage:

• Media coverage peaked on the mosque debate at 15%, making it the most reported story.
• However, the public's high interest in the oil leak (3% of coverage) and economy (7%) contrasted with news coverage volume.

Partisan Divide:

• Republicans showed greater interest in the mosque debate (44% very closely) and opposed its construction more strongly.
• Democrats had less interest in the mosque debate but similar views on other topics like the economy and oil leak.
• No significant partisan differences were found for most other stories.

Other News Highlights:

• A substantial portion of the public (up to 40%) reported hearing about the egg recall due to salmonella.
• Other stories like the Blagojevich verdict and Glenn Beck rally had lower public awareness.

This report underscores the gap between media coverage and public focus, with partisan divides evident in certain stories.