The Project for Excellence in Journalism coverage chart for the week of 6/2/08-6/8/08 was as you would expect.
The final battle between Barack Obama (D-IL) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) dominated the news, from the last primaries on Tuesday 6/3/08 to Clinton’s concession on Saturday 6/8/08. Cable, which often gets into 70% territory on campaign coverage, was there again with 74% focus – but this was one week where all five tracked media had a tight spotlight on the story.
Not much room was left for other matters, and two pocketbook issues, gas/oil prices and the US economy in general, captured the #2 and #3 slots in a battle of numerous and varied generally low-coverage stories.
| Story | Overall | Newspaper | Online | Net. TV | Cable TV | Radio |
| 2008 campaign | 50% | 36% | 35% | 47% | 74% | 58% |
| Gas/oil prices | 4% | 7% | x | 8% | 2% | 1% |
| US economy | 3% | 6% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 1% |
| Domestic terrorism | 2% | 2% | x | 4% | 2% | 2% |
| Bo Diddley passes | 2% | 5% | 3% | x | x | x |
| Ted Kennedy’s health | 2% | x | 5% | 3% | x | 2% |
| Global warming | 2% | 2% | x | 2% | 1% | 3% |
| Iraq events | 2% | 4% | x | x | 1% | x |
| Air Force officials resign | 1% | 2% | x | 2% | x | x |
| Chinese earthquake | 1% | 3% | 3% | x | x | x |
| Yves St. Laurent passes | x | 2% | x | 2% | x | x |
| TX polygamy raid | x | x | 5% | x | x | x |
| Worldwide food shortage | x | x | 2% | x | x | x |
| Iraq homefront | x | x | 2% | x | x | x |
| Iran | x | x | 2% | x | x | x |
| Pakistan | x | x | 2% | x | x | 2% |
| Zimbabwe: diplomats attacked | x | x | x | 2% | x | x |
| Violent US weather | x | x | x | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Scott McClellan’s book | x | x | x | x | 3% | x |
| Immigration | x | x | x | x | 1% | 1% |
| Iraq policy | x | x | x | x | 1% | x |
| Sudan/Darfur | x | x | x | x | x | 1% |
Source: Project for Excellence in Journalism
