Topline Results

	All front pages	ABC	AOL	CNN	MSNBC	Nat’l. Review	N.Y. Times	Salon	USA Today	Wash. Post	Yahoo
	(n = 60)	(n = 6)	(n = 6)	(n = 6)	(n = 6)	(n = 6)	(n = 6)	(n = 6)	(n = 6)	(n = 6)	(n = 6)

Total Stories: Percent in Each Range
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
10 stories or fewer	7	0	0	33	0	17	0	17	0	0	0
11-20 stories	47	50	100	67	0	83	0	83	83	0	0
21-30 stories	27	50	0	0	33	0	67	0	17	0	100
31 stories or more	20	0	0	0	67	0	33	0	0	100	0
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

Total Stories: Average Number
	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	#
Average number of stories	23	20	19	11	35	14	29	17	20	37	29

Original Reporting: Percent in Each Range
10 stories or fewer	38	50	100	33	0	17	0	17	67	0	100
11-20 stories	32	50	0	67	0	83	0	83	33	0	0
21-30 stories	17	0	0	0	83	0	83	0	0	0	0
More than 30 stories	13	0	0	0	17	0	17	0	0	100	0
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100


Original Reporting: Average Percent of All Front Page Stories
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Average Percent of Front Page Stories	63	56	0	96	78	93	95	79	47	89	1

Interactive Links
Yes/No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
How many (Range)	0-3	1	2-3	0	1	0	1	0-2	0	1-3	0

Policy Background Links
Yes/No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
How many (Range)	0-10	1	1	2	0	0	10	0	10	1-2	1

Biographical Background Links
Yes/No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
How many (Range)	0-12	0	1	9-11	2	0	11	0	1-8	11	12

Unfiltered Audio/Video Links
Yes/No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
How many (Range)	0-5	0-1	0	0	0	0	0-1	0	0-1	2-5	0-2

Voter Background Links
Yes/No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
How many (Range)	0-8	3-4	2	5-7	0-1	0	2-5	0	5-8	1-4	2-4

External Voter Information Site Links
Yes/No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
How many (Range)	0-5	0	0	0	1	0	5	0	0	0	2

External News Site Links
Yes/No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
How many (Range)	0-4	0	2	0	1	0	4	0	0	0	0-2

Lead Stories

Story Origination	Total (n = 138)
	%
Staff writer or staff	57
Other News organization	1
Wire service	27
Combo write-staff	11
Other	4
Total	100

Lead Story Trigger	Total (n = 138)
	%
Election Results	26
Candidate Driven	41
Campaign Driven	1
Observer Driven	4
Press Driven	21
Independent Polls	6
Other	1
Total	100

Lead Story Topic	Total (n = 138)
	%
All Politics	80
Advertisements	0
Candidate Performance Assessed	16
(i.e. connection to voters; on the stump)
Fundraising	4
Polls	0
Primary Results	14
Political Calendar	1
Staffing & Management	5
Tactical Maneuvering	7
Endorsements	0
Battle Ahead	19
Other	15


All Personal	2
All Past Personal	1
All Present Personal	1

All Policy	4
Policy (general)	4
Campaign finance Reform	0
Defense/Military	0
Taxes	0
Health Care	1
Abortion	0
Education	0
Other Specific Policy	0

All Social Issues	0

Other Campaign Topics	11
Non-Campaign Topics	2
Total	100

Lead Story Frame	Total (n = 138)
	%
Policy Explanation	0
Candidate’s Behavior	7
Candidate’s Leadership Ability	9
Candidate’s Health	0
Tactics & Strategies	11
Horse Race	19
Other political Internals	5
The Political System	4
Straight News Account*	46
Other	1
Total	100

Lead Story: Number of Sources	Total (n = 138)
	%
0 sources	6
1 source	7
2	8
3	9
4	10
5	15
6	8
7	12
8 or more	26
Total	100

Lead Story: 1st source—named or unnamed	Total (n = 138)
	%
Named	91
Voter	2
Candidate	59
Candidate surrogate	9
Outside expert	6
Staff journalist	0
Outside journalist	1
Poll/document	12
Other	3

Unnamed	4

No sources/Not applicable	6
Total	100

Lead Story Length (in paragraphs)	Total (n = 138)
	%
1 to 5	4
6 to 10	10
11 to 14	12
16 to 20	17
21 to 25	23
26+	34
Total	100

Lead Story Change (5 pm stories only)	Total (n = 68)
	%
New Story	54
Update	4
Repeat	41
Total	100