Health dominates news like never before
The latest numbers from Pew’s Project for Excellence in Journalism show health dominating the news hole with a 37 percent share of total coverage. It’s the highest number since Pew started tracking these things in 2007, topping the 32 percent mark it reached in August and September of last year. The coverage was driven by broadcast talk shows, where it took up an impressive 80 percent of the total news hole.
Pew: Health gets most coverage again
Filed under: Health care reform, Health journalism, Hot Health Headline
This week’s coverage numbers (three-page pdf) from the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism show health care taking up more news space than any other topic, as it has for six of the past seven weeks. During that time, only health reform advocate Sen. Ted Kennedy’s death managed to push health from the headlines.
Last week’s health coverage, like that of weeks past, has been largely fueled by cable television and radio talk shows — it filled a quarter or more of the news hole in those media while only making up 14 percent of total coverage overall.
Pew: Health care coverage still tops news
Filed under: Health journalism, Hot Health Headline
The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism has found that health care coverage filled more available news space than any other topic (PDF) for a third straight week.
Health coverage is down from the high of 25 percent it reached two weeks ago and the 19 percent it registered last week, but at 16 percent it still attracted more attention than the economy (which hit 15 percent). Health coverage numbers were again buttressed by heavy exposure on cable news (37 percent) and talk radio (33 percent), with debate in those outlets revolving around acrimonious town hall meetings.
Pew: Health care again tops week’s media coverage
Filed under: Health care reform, Health journalism, Health policy, Studies
The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, which monitors 55 news outlets and about 1,300 stories across all media, found that health care coverage again predominated last week, filling 19 percent of the available news space between July 27 and August 2 (5-page pdf). Health care coverage — and more specifically, pontificating and polemicizing about reform issues — was most popular on radio (32 percent) and cable news (30 percent), and those numbers were significantly higher for talk shows. Newspapers, network TV and online outlets devoted less space to health; all three devoted between 11 and 12 percent of their available space or airtime to the subject. The political discussion over reform was, by far, the most popular health topic across all media.
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