According to the Project for Excellence in Journalism, the 2008 presidential campaign dominated the newshole for the week of 10/7-12/07 with 15% of the coverage — stories tied at #2 only got 6%. Talkers were even more focused on the campaign, handing it 33% of their available time and space. Immigration was one of the #2 news stories, as it was with talkers who slightly elevated it to 8%. From there the order of focus diverged. Talkers made domestic terrorism #3/7%, compared to #7/3% over in the news room. Back on the campaign trail for a moment, two media figures figured prominently in the discussions, both pro and con. One was actor Fred Thompson, who has moved back into the political arena and participated in his first debate; the other was TV/cable talker Chris Matthews, who moderated it.
