News Interest Index: News About Economy Seen as Less Dire, More Hopeful

Report Read time:
News Interest Index: News About Economy Seen as Less Dire, More Hopeful

News about the economy and the debate over health care reform continue to dominate public attention. A growing proportion of Americans say they are hearing mostly good news about the economy, while the percentage saying the news is mostly bad has fallen since July. On health care, protests at contentious town hall meetings with lawmakers are drawing widespread attention. And a majority of those who have heard about the meetings say that the way people have been protesting against current proposals is appropriate (61%).

About three-in-ten (29%) say they are hearing mostly bad news about the economy, down from 41% in July, while the number hearing mostly good news is up from 3% to 11%. The percentage hearing a mix of good and bad is largely unchanged (59% now; 56% in July).

The latest News Interest Index survey, conducted August 7-10 among 1,004 adults by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, also finds that the public is hearing better news about financial markets than in June. Today, 20% say they are hearing mostly good news about those markets, compared with 9% in June. The number hearing mostly bad news dropped 12 points to 31%.

Despite strong interest in news about the economy, the public again followed news about the health care debate more closely than any other major story last week (36%). About two-in-ten (21%) say they followed reports about the economy most closely, making these the week's top stories.

Nearly eight-in-ten say they heard a lot (49%) or a little (29%) about the at-times angry community meetings. By a 58% to 43% margin, Republicans were more likely than Democrats to say they heard a lot about the protests over health care at town hall meetings.

Read the full report News About Economy Seen as Less Dire, More Hopeful on the Pew Research Center's People & the Press Web site.

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up

MORE FROM PEW

An aerial view of a vast wetland, with scattered vegetation visible on sandy islands. In Western Australia, a Conservation Model for the World
A presentation being given by a businesswoman to a group of participants at a business conference. Four Plan Features Can Boost 'Retirement Readiness'
A large group of people in formal or traditional attire stands together on a stage, with a digital background depicting marine life and the large text “WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.” WTO Needs to Redouble Its Effort on Fishing Subsidies
A man in a winter hat and sunglasses kneels on a rocky shoreline in front of a campfire, holding a metal mug with gloved hands. Behind him, in the water, a motorboat is moored to the shore. Cliffs rise on both sides of the water. Why Newfoundland’s South Coast Fjords Are Sacred
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?

Pills illustration
Pills illustration

What Is Antibiotic Resistance—and How Can We Fight It?

Sign up for our four-week email series The Race Against Resistance.
Quick View
Pills illustration

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs,” are a major threat to modern medicine. But how does resistance work, and what can we do to slow the spread? Read personal stories, expert accounts, and more for the answers to those questions in our four-week email series: Slowing Superbugs.