2009-06-10-皮尤-Week_s_Major_News_Stories_Draw_Different_Audiences_13页_61kb

Summary of News Release

1. Key Story Interests (June 11-18, 2009)

• Public attention spanned major news events: President Obama's Cairo speech, General Motors bankruptcy, Air France crash, U.S. economic news, and the murder of Dr. George Tiller.
• Interest distribution: Roughly 22% followed economic news, 21% followed the Air France crash, 17% followed Obama's Cairo speech, 13% followed the GM bankruptcy, and 5% followed the Tiller murder as their most closely followed story.
• Age/gender variations: Younger women (under 50) often tracked stories like Obama's speech more closely; men aged 50+ and older tended to focus on the GM bankruptcy or Air France crash.

2. Media Coverage

• Obama's address to the Muslim world received the highest media attention, accounting for 17% of coverage, followed by the GM bankruptcy (12%) and Air France crash (10%).
• Overall media coverage on Obama was deemed largely fair by 53% of the public, with criticality perceptions varying by news source (e.g., Fox News viewers more likely to criticize coverage).

3. Public Perception of Media Coverage

• 53% saw media coverage of Obama as fair, 26% felt it was too lenient, and 16% thought it was overly critical.
• Significant partisan differences emerged: Republicans favored more critical coverage, while Democrats leaned toward 'fair.' Ideological news outlets influenced perceptions (e.g., Fox viewers more critical, MSNBC more favorable).

4. Sotomayor Confirmation and Limbaugh Comments

• High public awareness (27-40%) of Rush Limbaugh’s criticism of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.
• Democrats and Republicans were more likely to have heard about this than older or less politically engaged groups.

5. Historical Context: Economic Concerns

• Public interest in economic issues has consistently led major news stories since the early 2000s, with high media coverage levels, particularly during economic crises.