The guiding principle of the 1992 Bill Clinton campaign has been adopted whole-hog by the news media in 2009, and the week of 3/16/09-3/22/09 was just another case in point, according to the latest study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism.
The tale took up 53% of available time and space. Underneath, there were 26 different topics that made on or another medium’s top ten list, including several Mideastern items, but the diffusion of interest prevented any from getting past 3% on the overall chart.
We note that even after being officially condemned by an overwhelming vote in the US Senate, radio was still on the case of the Fairness Doctrine.
| Story | Overall | Newspaper | Online | Net.TV | CATV | Radio |
| Economic crisis | 53% | 49% | 44% | 51% | 69% | 50% |
| Pakistan | 3% | 6% | 4% | 1% | x | x |
| Obama administration | 3% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 2% |
| Natasha Richardson death | 2% | x | 3% | 6% | x | 1% |
| Obama/Tonight Show | 2% | x | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
| NCAA basketball | 2% | 3% | 4% | x | x | x |
| Domestic terrorism | 2% | 3% | x | x | 2% | x |
| Iran | 1% | x | 3% | x | 2% | x |
| Isael/Palestine conflict | 1% | 2% | 2% | x | x | x |
| Afghanistan | 1% | x | x | 4% | x | x |
| Events in Iraq | x | 2% | x | 2% | x | x |
| Health care | x | 2% | x | x | x | x |
| Cyberspace | x | 2% | x | x | x | x |
| Mexican drug war | x | 2% | x | x | x | x |
| Austrian hostage trial | x | x | 4% | x | x | x |
| US auto industry | x | x | 2% | x | x | x |
| Madoff banking scam | x | x | x | 3% | 1% | x |
| Bear Stearns | x | x | x | 1% | x | x |
| Energy | x | x | x | 1% | 2% | x |
| Immigration | x | x | x | x | 2% | 1% |
| Sarah Palin | x | x | x | x | 1% | x |
| Iraq policy debate | x | x | x | x | 1% | x |
| Sri Lankan conflict | x | x | x | x | x | 2% |
| Newspaper troubles | x | x | x | x | x | 2% |
| Fairness Doctrine | x | x | x | x | x | 2% |
| Don Imus | x | x | x | x | x | 1% |
| NASA | x | x | x | x | x | 1% |
