2008-02-26-皮尤-NY_Times_McCain_Story_Draws_Public_Interest_-_And_Disapproval_11页_60kb

2008 Campaign and News Analysis Summary

• McCain-Loiterist Scandal/ NYT Coverage: A New York Times story about a potential improper relationship between John McCain and a female lobbyist garnered significant public awareness, with 57% of those aware criticizing the NYT's decision to publish. Republicans (87%) were slightly more aware than Democrats (80%) but held the most negative view of the NYT's publishing decision, with 75% disapproving compared to 45% of Democrats in favor.
• Obama Coverage & Plagiarism: Two other news stories about Barack Obama involving plagiarism accusations and Michelle Obama's comment about being proud of her country also received wide attention, though percentages were slightly lower than the McCain story. Overall, the public followed the campaign very closely at a 42% rate.
• Obama Dominance: Despite a lot of negative news about him, positive news (win in Wisconsin primary) drew more attention than negative news. This week, 53% said they heard the most about Obama, surpassing Hillary Clinton. Older Americans rely more on newspapers, while younger rely on the internet and cable TV for campaign news. Cable and network TV are the most trusted sources for learning from campaign coverage.
• Beef Recall and Spy Satellite: Public interest remained high, with significant attention given to the USDA recalling over 100 million pounds of beef and the U.S. Navy intercepting a spy satellite.
• International/Other News: Interest in events like Fidel Castro's resignation, Kosovo embassy violence, and Pakistani elections was relatively low compared to the campaign news. The News Interest Index measured public engagement with major news events across various sources.