The latest coverage charts from the Project for Excellence in Journalism, for the week of 10/6/08-10/12/08, put the 2008 presidential campaign back on top of the newshole heap, even though three of five media kept the focus on the financial crisis. Newspaper and online gave the financial story a big edge, while CATV and radio returned their focus to the campaign.
Network television gave the edge narrowly to financial matters. Very little else received more than cursory attention. 2% was all it took to grab the #3 spot on the overall chart and the highest #3 story for any of the five media was a mere 4%. Cable is most prone to tunnel vision, and its coverage of the two items hit 97%, leaving very little room for any other topic.
| Story | Overall | Newspaper | Online | Net.TV | CATV | Radio |
| Campaign 2008 | 41% | 25% | 26% | 38% | 66% | 55% |
| Financial crisis | 36% | 42% | 40% | 40% | 31% | 24% |
| US economy | 2% | 3% | x | 3% | <1% | 1% |
| Events in Iraq | 1% | 4% | 1% | x | x | 1% |
| Supreme Court actions | 1% | x | 3% | 2% | <1% | 2% |
| Nobel Prizes | 1% | 1% | 2% | x | x | 1% |
| Afghanistan | 1% | 2% | x | x | x | 1% |
| Same-sex marriage debate | 1% | x | 3% | x | x | x |
| Congressional campaigns | 1% | 2% | x | x | x | 1% |
| Baseball playoffs | 1% | x | 2% | x | x | x |
| North Korea | x | 2% | x | x | x | x |
| Immigration | x | 2% | x | x | x | x |
| NC bus crash | x | 1% | x | x | x | x |
| Los Angeles bus crash | x | x | 2% | x | x | x |
| Hurricane Ike | x | x | 2% | x | x | x |
| Georgia/Russia conflict | x | x | 2% | x | x | x |
| Iraq homefront | x | x | x | 1% | x | x |
| US auto industry | x | x | x | 1% | x | x |
| OJ Simpson | x | x | x | 1% | <1% | x |
| Global warming | x | x | x | 1% | x | x |
| Domestic terrorism | x | x | x | 1% | x | 1% |
| Gas/oil prices | x | x | x | <1% | <1% | x |
| Missing FL girl | x | x | x | x | <1% | x |
| Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac | x | x | x | x | <1% | x |
| Ted Stevens scandal | x | x | x | x | <1% | 1% |
| MA H.S. pregnancy pact | x | x | x | x | <1% | x |
Source: Project for Excellence in Journalism
