{"id":8809,"date":"2021-05-26T13:59:20","date_gmt":"2021-05-26T18:59:20","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-04-23T23:56:52","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T03:56:52","slug":"covid-19-was-pervasive-in-the-medias-early-coverage-of-the-biden-administration","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2021\/05\/26\/covid-19-was-pervasive-in-the-medias-early-coverage-of-the-biden-administration\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 was pervasive in the media\u2019s early coverage of the Biden administration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"President
President Joe Biden talks briefly with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on March 19, 2021.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As the battle against the coronavirus outbreak<\/a> was emerging as a defining issue in President Joe Biden\u2019s young administration, the pandemic and its effects on society became a pervasive part of the media narrative about his first 60 days in office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Most<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, nearly three-quarters of all news stories about the Biden administration\u2019s early days in office (72%) mentioned COVID-19 in some way, according to a recent Pew Research Center report<\/a>. It was a major part of the reporting \u2013 meaning at least half the story focused on it \u2013 in 42% of all stories about the administration and a minor part of the reporting in another 30%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The presence of COVID-19 in these stories cut across a wide range of distinct topic areas. Not surprisingly, virtually every health care story analyzed included the coronavirus in some way, with 97% featuring it as a major element of the reporting. The vast majority of stories about the economy (96%) also mentioned the virus, with 79% focusing on it in a major way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How we did this<\/div>