2009-11-18-皮尤-Health_Care_Reform_News_Tops_Public_Interest_13页_60kb

Key Summarization of Health Care Reform News Interest and Public Opinion (November 13-16, 2009)

During the week ending November 16, 2009, health care reform became the most widely followed news story by the American public, with 27% naming it their top story of the week. Media coverage reached 11% share. Other attention-grabbing topics included the Fort Hood shootings (21%), swine flu (19%), economy (15%), and Afghanistan (5%).

Healthcare Debate Details:

• Public awareness: Health care reform was the focus for 50% of those who heard a lot about the debate, primarily concerning the potential inclusion of a public option.
• Partisan Differences: Republicans were significantly more engaged than Democrats on key issues: cost (55% vs. 37%), reform payment (38% vs. 25%), penalties for inadequate coverage (56% vs. 38%), and illegal移民 coverage (38% vs. 25%).
• Expectations: 49% believe a bill will pass next year, compared to 37% expecting no legislation.

Other significant current events included the Fort Hood Army base shootings, receiving 20% of media coverage time, and concerns around swine flu and economic news.

Methodology: Finds stem from the weekly News Interest Index survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in conjunction with the Project for Excellence in Journalism's News Coverage Index, ensuring both media monitoring and public opinion tracking.