News Interest Index: Economy, Volcanic Ash Top News Interest
The public and the media focused on economic issues last week, with 24% of Americans saying they followed news about the economy more closely than other major stories.
Another 9% say they followed news about proposals for stricter regulation of banks and financial institutions most closely.
Americans also continued to closely track news about travel disruptions in Europe caused by ash from the erupting volcano in Iceland (20% most closely), according to the latest weekly News Interest Index survey conducted April 23-26 among 1,008 adults by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
In terms of coverage, news about the economy in general made up 13% of the newshole last week, while debate in Washington about a financial regulatory overhaul made up 14%. Together, they accounted for 27% of the coverage examined by the Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ), a separate project of the Pew Research Center. News about the volcano made up 11% of coverage.
Read the full report Economy, Volcanic Ash Top News Interest on the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press' Web site.
Spotlight on Mental Health
MORE FROM PEW
Explore Pew’s new and improved
Fiscal 50 interactive
Your state's stats are more accessible than ever with our new and improved Fiscal 50 interactive:
- Maps, trends, and customizable charts
- 50-state rankings
- Analysis of what it all means
- Shareable graphics and downloadable data
- Proven fiscal policy strategies
Welcome to the new Fiscal 50
Key changes include:
- State pages that help you keep track of trends in your home state and provide national and regional context.
- Interactive indicator pages with highly customizable and shareable data visualizations.
- A Budget Threads feature that offers Pew’s read on the latest state fiscal news.