The flat news coverage of during the week of 8/12-17/07 as measured by the Project for Excellence in Journalism gave almost equal weight to four stories: the 2008 campaign with 8% and, all tied with 7%, the US economy, Karl Rove’s resignation and the Utah mine disaster. Talkers were happy to run with the campaign, ratcheting up its share to 15%, but they had little interest in discussing a numbers story like the economy, which sank to 4% on the talk chart. Love him or hate him, the Karl Rove story was much meatier, and moved up to 11%. Immigration, not even on the news chart this week, came in third among talkers with 7%. Talkers joined newsers in giving Iraq a week off, although the 7% of the hole granted the Iraq policy debate mildly eclipsed the 5% newsers gave to events in Iraq.
