Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
The story from Egypt seemed to ebb and then peak last week, leading to a rush of coverage once the demonstrations turned into a successful revolution. No other story came close to generating that level of coverage last week. Now comes the hard part—understanding what will happen after Hosni Mubarak.
Last week, bloggers tackled the situation in Egypt as both reporter and commentator. More were critical of Obama’s actions but the discussion moved far beyond the current president. And two of the most-viewed videos on YouTube featured scenes of the protests in the streets of Cairo.
A history-making blizzard, major developments in the health care debate and a new set of unemployment numbers all made news last week. But they were overwhelmed by the situation in the Mideast. The dramatic events in Egypt set a new high water mark for international coverage.
The top subjects for bloggers last week involved Washington-centric stories, but not the one that galvanized much of the mainstream media. The lead subject on Twitter was about online news judgment. And on YouTube, an eight-month-old clip featuring remarks by talk host Glenn Beck became the subject of a debate about inflammatory speech.
If President Obama expected his State of the Union address to dominate the media narrative last week, those plans went awry when turmoil in a crucial Mideast ally threatened to remake the region and challenge U.S. strategy. And while coverage of the economy picked up last week, attention to the Tucson shooting plunged.
Senator John McCain’s support for President Obama’s speech at the Arizona memorial and the dawn of a new GOP-led House of Representatives focused bloggers’ attention last week. On Twitter, stories about Apple’s financial health drew the most interest. And on YouTube, the dramatic floods in Australia revealed the impact of the tragedy to the world.
Attention to the health of both Gabrielle Giffords and civic discourse helped fuel continuing coverage of the Tucson shooting spree last week. Some White House summitry, hard times for state treasuries and another round in the legislative battle over health care reform also generated significant coverage.
The online conversation last week focused heavily on the aftermath of the Arizona shooting spree that left six dead and 13 wounded. The most prominent element debated, according to a separate PEJ report released earlier this week, was the level of vitriol in political rhetoric today.
The January 8 Arizona assault stunned the nation and became one of the biggest stories in recent years. A PEJ analysis of mainstream and social media coverage and commentary reveals which element of the story made the most news, whether President Obama’s speech changed the narrative, how Sarah Palin was covered and how much attention the issue of gun control generated.
The politics behind the 112th Congress led the online conversation last week as bloggers jousted over the mandate and implications of a GOP-led House. On Twitter, the announcement that Apple was now the second-most valuable company in the world was the No. 1 subject. And on YouTube, an excerpt from a BBC show demonstrated just how endearing polar bears can be.