The unusual convergence of the White House, two generals and Rolling Stone Magazine fueled the rise of the Afghanistan story over the dominant-of-late oil spill saga during the week of 6/21-27/10, according to the latest reading from the Project for Excellence in Journalism. But it was close. Among all media, it was Afghanistan 25%, oil spill 23%.
Only two other stories rose above the fray to hit the 5% level. That score was registered by the 2010 elections, the week’s #4 story. It was three points behind the 8% notched by coverage of the World Cup.
Network and cable television journalists continued to see the travails of the BP oil rig as the #1 story, and newspaper put them both at 19%, but Afghanistan – fueled by the firing of Gen. Stanley McChrystal – had a 6% margin online and a wide 18% margin on radio.
A very wide variety of stories divvied up the remaining time and space, none of which could muster more than a 2% showing in total news media coverage.
Story | Overall | Newspaper | Online | NetTV | CATV | Radio |
Afghanistan | 25% | 19% | 21% | 22% | 31% | 35% |
Oil spill | 23% | 19% | 15% | 27% | 34% | 17% |
Economic crisis | 8% | 12% | 12% | 3% | 7% | 5% |
2010 elections | 5% | 7% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 5% |
World Cup | 2% | 4% | x | 3% | x | x |
Times Sq. bomb plot | 2% | 3% | x | 4% | 1% | x |
Russia | 2% | x | x | x | 6% | x |
Pakistan | 2% | 3% | 3% | x | x | 2% |
Immigration debate | 2% | x | 2% | x | 4% | 1% |
Kagan nomination | 2% | 5% | x | x | x | x |
China | x | 2% | x | x | x | x |
Education system | x | 2% | x | x | x | x |
Apple news | x | x | 4% | x | x | x |
Domestic terrorism | x | x | 3% | x | x | 2% |
Michael Jackson | x | x | 3% | x | x | x |
Natalee Holloway | x | x | x | 4% | x | x |
Supreme Court actions | x | x | x | 3% | x | x |
Flagstaff AZ fire | x | x | x | 2% | x | x |
SE Tennessee floods | x | x | x | 2% | x | x |
Obama administration | x | x | x | x | 3% | 2% |
Mexican drug war | x | x | x | x | 1% | 2% |
Marijuana legalization | x | x | x | x | 1% | x |
Blagojevich scandal | x | x | x | x | x | 1% |
Source: Project for Excellence in Journalism |