http://wwww.journalism.org/by_the_numbers Journalism.org Numbers Feed en-US http://wwww.journalism.org/node/13733 No media sector spent more time and energy covering the Presidential race in 2008 than the cable news networks. Now that the voters have spoken, how are the big three cable news outlets filling their airtime these days? http://wwww.journalism.org/node/13651 On Nov. 4, Californians voted for Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriages in their state. That vote reversed a May California Supreme Court ruling allowing gay couples to wed. The press has followed the shifting tides of the same-sex marriage debate in California. Which key events made the most news? http://wwww.journalism.org/node/13557 What was the biggest sports event of the year so far—those significant enough to jump from the sports pages to the front pages, from ESPN to Nightly News? The World Series may be bigger than many expect. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/13371 The U.S. economy may be facing its greatest turmoil since the Great Depression, and the financial meltdown is proving to be a complex story for journalists. What aspects of the crisis are media outlets spending the most time on? http://wwww.journalism.org/node/13243 Talk radio is a format chock full of opinion, monologues, and the frequent use of first person pronouns. How often do talk radio hosts make themselves part of the story? And who else do they discuss? http://wwww.journalism.org/node/13146 O.J. Simpson’s robbery and kidnapping conviction last week came after a trial that generated far less coverage than his 1995 murder case. But it was enough to keep the former football star in the media’s sights. What other celebrities made major news in the past twelve months? And why? http://wwww.journalism.org/node/13067 In the period that stretched from her introduction as John McCain’s running mate to the run-up to this week’s vice-presidential debate, Sarah Palin generated an extraordinary amount of media attention. In fact, when it comes to making headlines, no one has topped the Alaska Governor. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/12950 The week of Sept. 15-21 was dominated by news of perhaps the nation’s biggest fiscal crisis since the Great Depression. With Washington, Wall Street, and Main Street all affected, which elements of the financial crisis generated the most headlines? http://wwww.journalism.org/node/12861 The crisis on Wall Street, and its implications for the economy, now command the attention of the nation and the media. Even the focus of the presidential campaign has now changed. But in the weeks leading up to what most experts consider the worst financial emergency in decades, coverage of the economy had slowed down significantly. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/12752 Two major U.S. storms made the list of top five stories for the week of Sept. 1-8. While that level of coverage may be unusual, some media sectors tend to pay more attention to dangerous weather and disasters than others. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/12653 The veepstakes and convention time have commanded much of the media’s attention in recent days. With so much focus on the horserace and party pageantry, which campaign topics fell by the wayside? http://wwww.journalism.org/node/12554 After days of intense speculation by the press, Barack Obama introduced his running mate on Aug. 23. Was that choice a surprise? Or did the media prognosticators and pundits have it figured out? http://wwww.journalism.org/node/12449 The resignation of Pakistani President and U.S. ally Pervez Musharraf is generating headlines this week. But in general, the U.S. media have not devoted significant coverage to Pakistan—with one notable exception. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/12358 When the ex-presidential hopeful admitted to an extramarital affair that had long been alleged by a supermarket tabloid, it became a big story for the rest of the media. But the immediate reactions from cable news and the broadcast networks were quite different. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/12243 Last week, the indictment of seven-term Alaska Senator Ted Stevens was a major story. But he’s not the only politician to have found himself in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Here’s a rundown of the most heavily covered scandals involving public officials in the past two years. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/12162 Crime was big news last week. The case of a missing two-year-old in Florida was a major story. And the Washington Post published a series on the unsolved seven-year-old murder of former federal intern Chandra Levy. How often does crime make headlines? And which media pay the most attention? http://wwww.journalism.org/node/12042 Even if coverage of foreign news is decreasing, some events still make headlines. With fewer resources devoted to these stories, which countries are attracting U.S. media attention? http://wwww.journalism.org/node/11964 The controversial New Yorker magazine cover, which depicted Barack Obama as a Muslim and Michelle Obama as a terrorist, brought new attention to rumors about Obama’s patriotism. How much coverage has the media given to rumors that Obama is a Muslim, and or potentially a terrorist? http://wwww.journalism.org/node/11766 Talk host Don Imus made news again for a racially tinged remark about football player Adam “Pacman” Jones. But how did that compare with the media’s response to his infamous insult of the Rutgers women’s basketball team that cost him two jobs last year? http://wwww.journalism.org/node/11676 The news of recent clashes in Afghanistan’s Paktia province is a reminder that a bloody war is still being waged there. But how much media attention is that seven-year-old war generating and how does that compare to the coverage devoted to the conflict in Iraq? http://wwww.journalism.org/node/11594 Flooding and destructive storms continued to bombard the Midwest last week and they made major news—especially on the network morning news shows. How does disaster coverage stack up on the other media news platforms? http://wwww.journalism.org/node/11487 As White House press secretary, Scott McClellan was well known for being cautious and tight-lipped in his dealings with the media. But a controversial memoir, a high-profile press tour, and a torrent of criticism have suddenly turned him into one of the year’s biggest headline grabbers. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/11364 It was major news in early April when state authorities began removing hundreds of children from a polygamist sect in Eldorado Texas. But media interest waned significantly when a Texas Court ordered authorities to return the children to their families. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/11184 The destructive Myanmar cyclone and deadly earthquake in China generated significant attention from the U.S. media in recent weeks. But that coverage still paled in comparison with the attention paid to a natural disaster of a smaller magnitude that struck the U.S. last year. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/11063 Barack Obama has consistently dominated the media narrative compared to GOP candidate John McCain. Obama’s wife, Michelle, mirrors this trend, garnering nearly three times the amount of attention as McCain’s wife, Cindy. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/10962 A trip designed to revitalize Catholics in America, the Pope’s recent visit was a tightly scripted event with few surprises. But one unexpected development, his surprise meeting with survivors of clergy sexual abuse, helped turn that issue into the most heavily covered aspect of the trip. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/10849 The April 20 New York Times story on television’s use of military analysts who were parroting Pentagon talking points on the Iraq war seemed like a story destined to make an impact. Yet, an examination of a week’s worth of coverage by the PEJ’s News Coverage Index found the media equivalent of a collective yawn—only two follow-ups in the mainstream press. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/10345 Coverage of the Iraq war has decreased dramatically since President Bush announced the troop surge in January 2007. For the first three months of 2007, coverage of the war accounted for 23% of the overall newshole. One year later—from Jan. 1 through March 20 of 2008—the conflict generated only about one-sixth as much media attention. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/6697 Monthly audience figures for cable news audiences during the day http://wwww.journalism.org/node/6696 Monthly audience figures for cable news viewers at prime time http://wwww.journalism.org/node/9164 The bounty from political advertising is expected to set a new record in the current election cycle. And even with news consumers migrating to new media outlets, the overwhelming majority of those dollars will end up in the coffers of an “old media” platform. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/8415 The decades-long pattern of declining daily circulation was reaffirmed with the release of the ABC’s newest circulation numbers. But the Nov. 5 report also included a new readership metric —“net combined audience”— that painted a much brighter picture. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/6936 September numbers from the magazine business find that the ad page slump in the big newsweeklies continues in 2007. But looking more closely reveals some real winners and some disappointed losers in a diverse medium. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/6995 After a couple of years of bullish news, the new annual survey of 2006 journalism and communication graduates finds the job market leveling off. Still, despite sobering data on benefits and salaries as well, many of those choosing a career in an industry in turmoil seem pretty happy. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/1128 http://wwww.journalism.org/node/5838 It’s been a month since Rupert Murdoch made headlines with his bold bid to buy the Wall Street Journal. A computer search of the coverage reveals one thing for sure: the Australian media mogul’s U.S. holdings—such as the New York Post and Fox News Channel—are a big part of the story. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/6667 http://wwww.journalism.org/node/5013 The fate of Don Imus’s career seemed to hang in the balance as his racially charged insult reverberated throughout the media amid growing calls for his dismissal. And a PEJ key word search found that the coverage of the episode as it was breaking began to break in the negative for the veteran radio host who had also become a major political influence. http://wwww.journalism.org/node/1343 http://wwww.journalism.org/node/1339 http://wwww.journalism.org/node/1303 http://wwww.journalism.org/node/1345 http://wwww.journalism.org/node/1347 http://wwww.journalism.org/node/1522 http://wwww.journalism.org/node/1523 http://wwww.journalism.org/node/1524 http://wwww.journalism.org/node/1517 http://wwww.journalism.org/node/1514 http://wwww.journalism.org/node/1072 http://wwww.journalism.org/node/1073 The latest Editor & Publisher data on average circulation for daily and Sunday newspapers.