2008-05-21-皮尤-Foreign_Disasters_Attract_Interest_Despite_Modest_Coverage_13页_69kb

Summary of Pew Research Report: Cable News vs. Public Interest in 2008 Campaign Coverage

Key Findings:

• Public interest in news was dominated by gas prices (31% most closely followed story, 64% followed very closely) and international events like the China earthquake (20% most closely followed, 30% followed very closely).
• Media coverage, especially cable news, heavily favored the presidential campaign (74% of cable coverage), creating a large gap with public interest (20% for campaign).
• Other top public stories included the campaign (20%), Burma cyclone (7%, low coverage), and gas prices.

Details on Coverage Disparity:

• Cable news consistently over-covered campaigns compared to other sources, with minimal overlap in interest.
• Public awareness was high for disasters: Over half recognized the China earthquake death toll estimates, and most knew Burma's location and cyclone scale, despite modest media coverage.

Sample Topics:

• Edwards Endorsement: High media attention but low public awareness (29% heard a lot).
• Bush Speeches: Received less public interest compared to media coverage, with McCain lagging in visibility.

Overall Conclusion:
The report highlights a disconnect between cable news priorities and public news interest, with everyday issues and disasters generating more public engagement than campaign coverage in some cases.