PEJ New Media Index: Bloggers Contemplate the Economy, Rush, and Zombies

Report Read time:
PEJ New Media Index: Bloggers Contemplate the Economy, Rush, and Zombies

Outrage over economic troubles, President Barack Obama's comments about a radio talk host, and a Texas-sized practical joke captured the attention of bloggers, user news sites and other social media last week. On YouTube, the top news video was Obama's weekly address which focused on his economic stimulus plan.

While the more traditional press overwhelmingly focused on the economic crisis and the stimulus plan, the new media's attention was equally divided among three diverse subjects—the villains of the financial meltdown, Obama's decision to criticize Rush Limbaugh, and jokesters who changed a road sign to warn of a “zombie attack.”  The two politically oriented stories gave rise to often intense discussions, with ideological finger pointing on both sides of the aisle.

These are some of the findings of the second edition of a new feature by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism.

The New Media Index is an effort by PEJ to monitor the content appearing in new media platforms. The biggest element of this Index is what appears in the more than 100 million blogs and other social media web pages concerned with national news and public affairs tracked by two monitoring sites, Technorati and Icerocket. Both track the commentary online by identifying what news stories bloggers and other websites link to. Each weekday, PEJ captures the top linked-to stories and analyzes their content. It then compares those findings with the results of its weekly analysis of more mainstream media, the weekly News Coverage Index. The Project also tracks the most popular news videos on YouTube each week.

Read the full report Bloggers Contemplate the Economy, Rush, and Zombies 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 black and white fishing trawler, with its net in the water and an orange light glowing from within the cabin, is followed by dozens of black seabirds. The breaching fin of an orca whale is visible on the dark surface of the water, and a rocky, snow-covered mountain rises from the sea in the background. Fisheries Managers Should Take Care of Ecosystem Health
A man wearing a checkered, collared shirt leans in and touches the shoulder of a man in a blue collared shirt with lights in the background. The Power of Lived Experience in Suicide Prevention
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 Biodiversity, Community Funds New Plan
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?