2007-03-14-皮尤-Public_Tunes_In_to_Walter_Reed_Story_10页_54kb

Public Interest in Walter Reed Story Surpassed Libby Verdict; Iraq Dominates Media Coverage

• Walter Reed Focus: Attention to conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and wounded soldiers was high, with 31% followed closely and 20% named as most closely followed story. Public interest increased from previous weeks, and media coverage was substantial at 6% of news.

• Iraq Situation: Continues to be the most dominant news topic, attracting widespread public interest and media coverage. It was the most closely followed story overall in terms of both interest and coverage for the week.

• Libby Verdict: Low public interest, with only 13% followed closely, despite intense media focus (13% of coverage). Most of the public viewed it as boring or unimportant, and Democrats were slightly more engaged, but 38% paid no attention.

• Other Stories: 2008 presidential campaign garnered interest from nearly one-quarter of the public, followed by general lottery news. Firing of U.S. attorneys had minimal public attention.

• Coverage Perception: Walter Reed story was under-covered, with 24% wanting more coverage. Iraq also had some under-representation, but Walter Reed topped complaints for excessive under-coverage.

• Demographics: Democrats showed higher engagement in all topics, with a slight gender gap in Walter Reed interest (almost equal for women), while men favored Iraq. Republicans had lower involvement in some stories.

Key Trends: Media coverage often exceeded public interest, particularly for the Libby verdict and Iraq, while Walter Reed received less attention than desired.