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

MORE FROM PEW

Standing on a boat in his wetsuit, with shimmering blue water and a hilly coast behind him, Stan Shea points to distant waters before a dive. Awareness of Hong Kong's Marine Diversity Aids Conservation
A time-lapse photo shows a stream rushing through densely forested terrain that includes mossy rocks and fallen trees in the streambed and tall pines on the banks, all under a sunny sky. More Rivers Need Protection, Advocates Say
A winding river in Alaska, lined with green and yellow trees, a green river valley, and distant mountains. 4 Reasons to Improve Federal Land Conservation Policy
Montana State Capitol Building How Sustainable Is Your State's Pension 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?