According to the latest Project for Excellence in Journalism report for the week of 11/10/08-11/16/08, making sense of the 2008 elections was still the top priority for the media.
Coverage was scattered though a number of general categories, claiming over a third of the newshole. That of course is a marked decrease from the level of coverage in the months leading up to Election Day.
Despite the new freedom to explore other topics, the combined media settled on a relatively tight playlist, with focus on economic matters, the Middle East and the California wildfires providing focus that held though all five media categories.
| Story | Overall | Newspaper | Online | Net.TV | CATV | Radio |
| New Obama administration | 24% | 15% | 26% | 21% | 32% | 30% |
| Financial crisis/bailout | 24% | 29% | 17% | 33% | 22% | 15% |
| Presidential election results | 10% | 4% | 7% | 10% | 17% | 13% |
| US auto industry | 5% | 7% | 5% | 3% | 6% | 5% |
| Veteran’s Day | 3% | 2% | 7% | 2% | 1% | x |
| SoCal wildfires | 3% | 3% | 5% | 3% | 1% | x |
| Events in Iraq | 2% | 4% | 5% | x | x | x |
| Congressional election results | 2% | x | x | 1% | 6% | 4% |
| Same sex marriage debate | 2% | x | x | x | 3% | 1% |
| Heart disease research | 1% | 3% | 2% | 2% | x | x |
| Iraq homefront | x | 3% | x | x | x | 1% |
| Pakistan | x | 3% | x | 1% | x | 1% |
| Afghanistan | x | x | 2% | x | x | x |
| War on terror | x | x | 2% | x | x | x |
| US economy | x | x | x | 1% | x | x |
| Immigration | x | x | x | x | 1% | 1% |
| Natalee Hollaway disapperance | x | x | x | x | 1% | x |
| New 111th Congress | x | x | x | x | x | 1% |
Source: Project for Excellence in Journalism
