Then you’d really have a story. The Somalian pirates have proven so irresistible to media with cameras (network TV and cable) that it came close to making the economic crisis walk the plank as the number one news story for the second week in a row, according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism’s report for 4/13/09-4/19/09.
The margin was 18%-16%, leaving lots of room for a wide variety of stories underneath.
| Story | Overall | Newspaper | Online | Net.TV | CATV | Radio |
| Economic crisis | 18% | 18% | 23% | 14% | 14% | 18% |
| Pirates of Somalia | 16% | 8% | 17% | 25% | 17% | 13% |
| Domestic terrorism | 7% | 5% | 8% | 4% | 10% | 12% |
| Tea party protests | 7% | x | 6% | x | 14% | 15% |
| Mexican drug war | 6% | 4% | 7% | 6% | 8% | 5% |
| Obama administration | 3% | 6% | 3% | 2% | x | 2% |
| Cuba | 2% | x | x | 5% | 4% | 1% |
| Immigration | 2% | 5% | 2% | x | x | x |
| US auto industry | 2% | 2% | x | x | 2% | x |
| North Korea | 2% | x | 3% | x | x | 1% |
| Education system | x | 3% | x | x | x | x |
| Pakistan | x | 2% | x | 2% | x | x |
| Health care debate | x | 2% | x | x | x | x |
| Masters golf tournament | x | x | 2% | x | x | x |
| Thailand protests | x | x | 2% | x | x | x |
| Global warming | x | x | x | 3% | x | x |
| Energy debate | x | x | x | 2% | x | x |
| Sandra Cantu found dead | x | x | x | 2% | x | x |
| Taxes/tax day | x | x | x | x | 2% | x |
| Blagojevich scandal | x | x | x | x | 2% | x |
| Congressional election results | x | x | x | x | 2% | 2% |
| US airline industry | x | x | x | x | x | 1% |
Source: Project for Excellence in Journalism
