PEJ New Media Index: Bloggers Blast an Iran War Scenario

Report Read time:
PEJ New Media Index: Bloggers Blast an Iran War Scenario

Amidst mainstream press headlines of an angry and divided electorate, the blogosphere last week suggested there is at least one thing people across the political spectrum agree on: Going to war with Iran to boost the U.S. economy is a troubling idea.

During the week of November 1-5, bloggers across the board roundly rejected that kind of strategy. The idea came in an October 31 column by David Broder and attracted more than a third (35%) of the news links on blogs that week, making it the No. 1 subject according to the New Media Index from the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism.

In the piece headlined “The War Recovery,” Broder—a longtime Washington observer with generally moderate views—wrote about ways that President Obama could bounce back from a difficult 2010 election to win a second term. Although Broder wrote he “was not suggesting that the president incite a war to get re-elected,” he also declared that if Obama spends the next two years “orchestrating a showdown with the [Iranian] mullahs…this will help him politically” and the “economy will improve.”

Online criticism of Broder's piece produced a kind of blogosphere bi-partisanship and unanimity rarely seen on crucial political and policy issues. Some argued that the idea of starting a war for political or economic reasons was immoral. Others offered that if additional government spending would help the economy, the spending could be on things like infrastructure rather than military conflict

The second-biggest subject on blogs last week, with 17% of the links, was the November 2 elections and the political consequences for Obama, the overwhelmingly No. 1 story in the mainstream media. While much of the traditional press coverage focused on Washington's changed political landscape in the wake of major Republican gains, the bloggers' conversation focused more narrowly on columns that criticized Obama's performance.

Read the full report, Bloggers Blast an Iran War Scenario 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?