2007-12-05-皮尤-Terrorism,_Tight_Credit,_and_Tragedies_Emerge_in_the_News_in_Third_Quarter_27页_723kb

Summary of the Third Quarter of 2007 News Coverage

Core Content

In the third quarter of 2007, the American news media focused heavily on three major themes: terrorism, economic concerns, and disasters. These issues emerged as significant stories, even though the war in Iraq and the 2008 presidential campaign remained dominant overall. The Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ) conducted a comprehensive analysis of media coverage across 48 outlets, highlighting shifts in public attention and the media's prioritization of certain topics.

Main Themes and Key Findings

1. Terrorism: A Resurgent Concern

• Terrorism was the fourth-biggest story of the quarter, accounting for 2.8% of the newshole.
• The threat of a reconstituted Al-Qaeda and domestic terrorism were major drivers.
• Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff’s "gut feeling" about an attack and events in the UK (such as the foiled car bomb plot in London) significantly increased media attention.
• The "doctors' plot" in the UK, involving suspects who were doctors, became the biggest weekly story at 14.5% of the newshole during the week of July 1.
• Domestic terrorism saw a three-fold increase from the second quarter, reaching 3% of the newshole, which was the fourth-biggest story.

2. The Economy: A Growing Story

• The U.S. economy became a top-10 story for the first time in 2007, ranking No. 6 overall.
• The housing and mortgage crisis, subprime lending, and the credit crunch were the primary narrative threads.
• The housing crisis accounted for 52% of economic coverage, while interest rates made up 17% and unemployment 4%.
• Coverage varied by media sector, with newspapers and network TV focusing more on the economic issues than online media.
• The collapse of the subprime market and Countrywide Financial Corp.'s potential bankruptcy were major catalysts for economic coverage.

3. Disasters: Bridge and Mine Collapses

• The I-35W Bridge Collapse in Minneapolis (Aug. 1) was the fifth-biggest story of the summer and third-biggest of the quarter.
• The Utah Mine Collapse (Aug. 6) was the tenth-biggest story of the quarter.
• These disasters reinforced public concerns about aging infrastructure and national security.
• Cable news provided the most coverage of both incidents, with the bridge collapse accounting for 25% of the newshole and the mine collapse for 2%.

4. Presidential Campaign and Iraq Policy Debate

• The 2008 presidential campaign remained a top story, ranking No. 2 overall.
• Iraq policy debate was the top story of the quarter, accounting for 9.7% of the newshole.
• General David Petraeus’ status report to Congress in September led to a surge in coverage of the Iraq policy debate, which peaked at 36% of the newshole in the week of Sept. 9–14.
• The overall coverage of the Iraq war (including policy, events, and homefront) remained around 16%, a significant drop from the 22% in the first quarter.

5. Political Scandals and Newsmakers

• Larry Craig’s scandal involving allegations of propositioning a police officer was the eighth-biggest story of the quarter.
• It was the biggest story in the week of Aug. 26–31, accounting for 18.3% of the newshole.
• George W. Bush was the leading newsmaker of the quarter, appearing in 513 stories or 2.9% of the newshole.
• Immigration fell in prominence after the defeat of the reform bill in late June, with coverage dropping to 2% of the newshole.

Media Trends and Differences

• Cable news networks had distinct coverage patterns, with MSNBC focusing heavily on the presidential campaign and Iraq policy debate, while Fox News and CNN covered these topics less prominently.
• Coverage of the Iraq war was heavily skewed toward policy debates and events in Iraq, with homefront coverage remaining the smallest component.
• Talk radio and cable news were the most intense in covering domestic terrorism and political scandals.

Conclusion

The third quarter of 2007 marked a shift in media focus, with terrorism, economic concerns, and disasters gaining significant attention. While the Iraq war and presidential campaign remained top stories, the coverage of these issues fluctuated, and new threats and events emerged as major topics. The media's attention to domestic terrorism and economic issues reflected growing public anxiety, even in the absence of actual attacks or a full-blown recession. The divergence in media coverage across sectors and networks also highlighted the ideological and editorial differences in how news was framed and prioritized.