Newspapers and online news sources actually thought that the ongoing economic crisis was still the #1 story in America, according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism during the week of 8/10-16/09.
But Network TV and radio demoted it to #4, and cable put on its tunnelvision headgear to give health care 62% of its time (radio well behind with a still-hefty 44%), easily vaulting health care to the number one slot for the week.
| Story | Overall | Newspaper | Online | NetTV | CATV | Radio |
| Health care debate | 32% | 14% | 17% | 26% | 62% | 44% |
| Economic crisis | 12% | 20% | 17% | 6% | 6% | 3% |
| Afghanistan | 6% | 5% | 5% | 7% | 3% | 11% |
| Crash over the Hudson | 4% | x | 6% | 7% | 3% | 1% |
| Eunice Kennedy Shriver dies | 2% | x | 5% | 5% | x | x |
| Obama administration | 2% | 2% | 2% | x | 2% | 7% |
| US auto industry | 2% | x | 3% | 2% | x | 1% |
| Typhoon Morakot | 2% | x | 5% | x | x | x |
| China | 2% | 4% | x | x | x | x |
| Events in Iraq | 2% | 3% | 2% | x | x | x |
| Mexican drug war | x | 3% | x | x | 1% | x |
| Domestic terror | x | 3% | x | x | 2% | x |
| Iraq homefront | x | 3% | x | x | x | x |
| Education system | x | 2% | x | x | x | x |
| Myanmar | x | x | 3% | 3% | x | x |
| Swine flu | x | x | 3% | x | x | x |
| Hillary Clinton in Africa | x | x | x | 3% | x | x |
| Michael Vick | x | x | x | 2% | 2% | 1% |
| US airline industry | x | x | x | 2% | 2% | x |
| VP Cheney controversy | x | x | x | x | 1% | x |
| Immigration | x | x | x | x | x | 3% |
| Pakistan | x | x | x | x | x | 2% |
| Going green | x | x | x | x | x | 2% |
Source: Project for Excellence in Journalism
