The death of singer Whitney Houston, the presidential campaign and the state of the economy topped the public’s news interest last week.

About two-in-ten (19%) say Houston’s sudden death at 48 was their top story of the week; 18% say they followed news about candidates for the presidential election most closely, while 15% say their top story was news about the economy, according to the latest weekly News Interest Index survey, conducted Feb. 16-20 among 1,006 adults by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

Those same stories led coverage. News about the campaign made up 16% of the newshole, according to the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ). News about the economy accounted for 12%; an additional 4% of coverage focused on a related story – the payroll tax extension approved by Congress. News about Houston’s death made up 10% of the newshole.

Read the full report, Public's Top Stories: Whitney Houston, Election, Economy, on the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press' Web site.