Health care coverage edged the economic crisis coverage by a 13%-12% margin among the news media during the week of 11/16-22/09, according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism. But only one of the five media – newspaper — had both stories among their top two, and one – network TV – had neither.
Sarah Palin grabbed enough media attention to be the #3 story for the week.
The Afghanistan story, which has been consistently among the top three in the recent past, dropped into a tie for 7th with only 4% of the newshole. Other points of interest in the Mideast showed up on individual coverage lists but failed to garner enough attention to make the overall list.
| Story | Overall | Newspaper | Online | NetTV | CATV | Radio |
| Health care debate | 13% | 15% | 7% | 6% | 18% | 19% |
| Economic crisis | 12% | 19% | 14% | 6% | 9% | 8% |
| Sarah Palin | 8% | x | 7% | 10% | 14% | 8% |
| Mammograms | 7% | 10% | 4% | 15% | 3% | 2% |
| Obama trip to Asia | 5% | 5% | 8% | 8% | 3% | 3% |
| Domestic terrorism | 5% | 2% | x | 4% | 10% | 13% |
| Afghanistan | 4% | 2% | 7% | 4% | x | 4% |
| Fort Hood shootings | 4% | 3% | x | x | 6% | 3% |
| Obama administration | 2% | x | x | x | 5% | 6% |
| Oprah to cable | 2% | x | x | 4% | x | x |
| Mexican drug war | x | 2% | x | x | x | x |
| Education system | x | 2% | 4% | x | x | x |
| US airline industry | x | 2% | 2% | x | x | x |
| Iran | x | x | 4% | x | x | x |
| Global warming | x | x | 3% | x | x | x |
| China | x | x | x | 3% | x | x |
| Cervical cancer screening | x | x | x | 3% | x | x |
| Events in Iraq | x | x | x | x | 3% | x |
| Pirates of Somalia | x | x | x | x | 2% | x |
| Pakistan | x | x | x | x | x | 2% |
Source: Project for Excellence in Journalism
