If you guessed the economy, Don Rickles may well award you a gherkin or something. It’s no surprise that money worries dominated the Project for Excellence in Journalism report on story coverage for the week of 2/23/090-3/1/09.
It was easily on top of all five media lists, and only Barack Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress managed to join it in double-digit territory – and that story made it by the skin of its teeth with 10%.
Iraq coverage had a minor resurgence, with two story categories combining to claim 8% of the overall newshole.
| Story | Overall | Newspaper | Online | Net.TV | CATV | Radio |
| Economic crisis | 38% | 43% | 36% | 36% | 35% | 36% |
| Obama to Congress | 10% | 6% | 6% | 14% | 16% | 13% |
| Iraq policy debate | 6% | 2% | 6% | 5% | 10% | 5% |
| Obama administration | 5% | 6% | 3% | 3% | 6% | 4% |
| Oscars | 2% | x | 5% | 4% | x | 5% |
| Domestic terrorism | 2% | 1% | 6% | x | 2% | x |
| Health care debate | 2% | 6% | x | x | 1% | 1% |
| Mexican drug war | 2% | 5% | x | x | 2% | x |
| US auto industry | 2% | x | 3% | x | 2% | 2% |
| Events in Iraq | 2% | 5% | x | x | x | x |
| Pakistan | x | 2% | 2% | 2% | x | x |
| Tiger Woods after surgery | x | 1% | x | x | x | x |
| Turkish plane crash/Amsterdam | x | x | 3% | 2% | x | x |
| Cyberspace issues | x | x | 2% | x | x | x |
| Clinton to Asia | x | x | x | 2% | x | x |
| Newpaper troubles | x | x | x | 1% | x | x |
| Pentagon photo ban lifted | x | x | x | 1% | x | x |
| Chimp attack | x | x | x | x | 2% | x |
| Presidential election results | x | x | x | x | 2% | 3% |
| Afghanistan | x | x | x | x | x | 2% |
| Energy debate | x | x | x | x | x | 2% |
Source: Project for Excellence in Journalism
