PEJ Campaign Coverage Index: September 15 - 21, 2008,The Latest Campaign Narrative—'It's The Economy, Stupid'

Report Read time:
PEJ Campaign Coverage Index: September 15 - 21, 2008,The Latest Campaign Narrative—'It's The Economy, Stupid'

For much of this election season, media coverage has been driven by a series of discrete, often unexpected events—from Rev. Wright's sermons to the war in Georgia, from candidate gaffes to John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin. While the polls and election fundamentals of the race haven't changed much, the campaign itself seemed to lack a master narrative.

Last week, the frightening financial meltdown on Wall Street re-oriented the campaign and re-wrote the storyline. The crisis was not only the week's top story—marking only the second time this year that an event other than the campaign emerged as the No. 1 topic of the week. It also raised the possibility that a major policy issue, the economy, might emerge as the decisive factor of the campaign.

Last week, certainly, the financial crisis was the top theme in the election coverage itself, accounting for 43% of the campaign newshole for Sept. 15-21, according to the Campaign Coverage Index from the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism.

Read the full report The Latest Campaign Narrative--'It's The Economy, Stupid' on the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism 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
Article June 13, 2023

37 Scientists Pioneering the Future of Biomedical Research

Quick View
Article June 13, 2023

Biomedical researchers are at the heart of nearly every medical advancement. From cutting-edge cancer treatments to breakthrough discoveries about emerging viruses, these scientists use creativity and ingenuity to explore new horizons in human health and medicine. And for nearly 40 years, The Pew Charitable Trusts has supported more than 1,000 early-career researchers committed to this work.

MORE FROM PEW

A woman and her grandchildren on a sunny afternoon. Courts Can Do More to Help Families Seeking Guardianship
Sunlight streams into the blue waters of a vibrant coral reef. Yellow, black and blue, and orange fish swim near red, green and bright coral. To Save Nature, Global Community Moves to Fund New Plan
Four yellow school buses emit smoke as they travel a road crowded with cars, construction vehicles, and scaffolding. States Race to Win Federal Clean School Bus Grants
A photo illustration of an empty defendant’s chair, indicating that the person did not show for a virtual hearing, and the plaintiff’s lawyer sitting in a chair beside it. The one person faces forward toward an iPad with a gavel. The illustration has a blue background that shows the exterior of a courthouse. Debt Collection Cases Continued to Dominate Civil Dockets
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?