Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
To say Don Imus’s controversial words were a big topic on the talk shows last week is an understatement. The Imus story ruled the talk airwaves like no other since the Index began, taking up 61% of the talk time. But often Imus was less the subject of the talk than a way to take on other people and issues.
In a week that marked the fourth anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein and the end of the Duke lacrosse scandal, the remarks of a cable and radio talk show host dominated the news media. The fall of Don Imus had just the mix of ingredients that tend to seize the media imagination.
The Iranian hostage situation and the argument over Iraq policy were hot topics on the cable and radio talk shows last week. But in some ways, the U.S. Speaker of the House’s decision to talk to the President of Syria shed even more light on how the talk universe really works.
The now-resolved hostage crisis with Iran attracted the most media coverage last week while the investigation into the fired U.S. attorneys went on temporary hiatus. But even with the voting 19 months away, the 2008 race for the White House continues to fascinate the press, the second story only behind the debate over the war in Iraq.
There was a disagreement between the nation’s radio and cable talk hosts over the juiciest talk topic last week. The fired U.S. attorneys topped the cable menu while the 2008 Presidential race was the leading topic on radio. Meanwhile, hosts in both media sectors rattled their sabers at Iran.
How did the sad saga of the Playmate/heiress become one of the biggest stories in America in the 23 days from her death to her burial? A PEJ report on the media’s role in the Smith episode finds that the coverage wasn’t as widespread as you might think. Still, some outlets couldn’t seem to get enough of the tabloid tale.
U.S. tensions with Teheran have been bubbling for some time now, but it took a conflict with another country to put Iran atop the media map. In the same week, the news didn’t get any better for Attorney Gonzales and the Iraq debate was marked by a crucial Senate vote.
Two major news stories, the fired U.S. attorneys story and the argument over Iraq policy, dominated the airwaves on cable and radio talk shows last week. But a look at how the talkhosts operate suggests that it can be passion and personality, rather than the issue itself that often drives the discussion.