Coverage of Obama Seen as Largely Fair WEEK S MAJOR NEWS STORIES DRAW DIFFERENT AUDIENCES

NEWS Release. 1615 L Street, N.W., Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20036 Tel (202) 419-4350 Fax (202) 419-4399 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, June 11, 2009 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Andrew Kohut, Director Michael Remez, Senior Writer Coverage of Obama Seen as Largely Fair WEEK S MAJOR NEWS STORIES DRAW DIFFERENT AUDIENCES Americans divided their attention among several major stories last week as President Obama reached out to the Muslim world in a major speech, a jetliner crashed into the Atlantic Ocean and General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection. At the same time, they continued to keep a close watch on news about the troubles facing the U.S. economy. Not surprisingly, different segments of the public showed greater interest in certain stories. For example, older Americans, the better educated, women and Democrats were more likely than others to say they followed Obama s speech in Cairo more than any other major story last week. The General Motors developments attracted more interest among men, especially those 50 and older, and Republicans, while the horrific news about the jet crash off the coast of Brazil was followed more by women under 50 and the more affluent. News Interest vs. News Coverage Economy Air France crash Obama's Egypt speech GM bankruptcy Kansas doctor killing Meanwhile, the latest weekly News Interest Index survey, Interest: percent who named story as most followed conducted June 5-8 by the Pew Coverage: percent of news coverage devoted to story Research Center for the People & the Press, shows that interest in news about the U.S. economy remained strong across most groups. About two-in ten (22%) say they followed economic news more than other major stories. 22 21 17 13 5 11 10 17 12 8

A comparable share (21%) say they followed news about the deadly plane crash most, while 17% say the same about Obama s speech to the Muslim world on June 4. A slightly smaller share (13%) say they followed news about the GM bankruptcy filing more than other major stories, while 7% say they followed news about the NBA final series most, and 5% say they followed news about the killing of a Kansas doctor who performed abortions that. According to a separate analysis by the Pew Research Center s Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ), Obama s outreach to the Muslim world attracted the most media coverage last week. Reporting on the president s trip to the Middle East and Europe accounted for about 20% of the media newshole. The Cairo speech and reaction to it represented most of that 17% of the total newshole. The problems facing the car industry, most notably the GM bankruptcy, accounted for 12% of news coverage, while the economy took up 11% and the Air France crash another 10%. News about the killing of Dr. George Tiller, a Kansas doctor who performed abortions, accounted for 8% of the newshole. As Obama made news on both the foreign and domestic fronts, Americans say they see no change in the balance of media coverage of the president since April. More than half (53%) say they think media coverage of Obama has been fair, while 16% say it has been too critical and 26% say it has not been critical enough. Four-in-ten (40%) of those who say they watch Fox News Channel regularly say that media coverage of Obama has not been critical enough. That compares with just 15% of regular CNN viewers and 12% of regular MSNBC viewers. Breaking Down News Interest There are substantial partisan differences in attentiveness to major stories, particularly Obama s speech to the Muslim world. Nearly three times more Democrats (25%) than Republicans (9%) cited Obama s address as the week s top story. More Republicans than Democrats say the economy was the story they followed most (28% vs. 18% of Democrats and 22% for independents). In addition, 2 Big Stories, Divergent Audiences Story followed most Obama GM Air France speech bankruptcy crash % % % Total 17 13 21 Men 13 17 19 Women 20 10 23 18-39 10 12 24 40-64 19 14 20 65+ 23 15 17 Republican 9 18 24 Democrat 25 9 20 Independent 15 14 20 College grad+ 20 14 21 Some College 16 14 21 HS grad or less 14 12 20

twice as many Republicans (18%) as Democrats (9%) say they followed stories about GM s bankruptcy more than all other stories. Measuring News Interest Percent following each story "very " Economy 41 Which one story did you follow "most "? 22 Obama's Egypt speech Air France crash GM bankruptcy Kansas doctor killing NBA Finals 26 28 29 16 13 21 17 13 5 7 Somewhat more women (20%) than men (13%) cited Obama s speech as their most followed story; more men (17%) than women (10%) tracked news about GM most. During a busy news week, the crash of the Air France jet drew fairly extensive interest. Women are slightly more likely to say they followed that story most (23% compared with 19% for men). That includes 26% of women under 50. Fewer than one-in-ten (7%) say they followed the NBA championship series, now underway, more than other news last week, while 13% say they followed the finals very. That s slightly less than the 18% that said they very followed the Boston Celtics winning the series last year. Not surprisingly, men are more likely than women to say they are following the series very (17% vs. 9%). Just 5% say they followed the murder of George Tiller the Kansas doctor who ran a health clinic that provided abortions more than other major stories, while 16% say they followed that news very. Democrats are slightly more likely than Republicans or independents to say they followed this news very (22% vs. 15% or 13%, respectively.) 3

Most See Obama Coverage As Fair As Barack Obama completed his trip to Europe and the Middle East, 53% of Americans say that the press has been fair in its coverage of the new president. About a quarter (26%) say the press has not been critical enough, while 16% say it has been too critical. In late April, 55% said press coverage was fair, 26% said it was not critical enough and 15% said it was too critical. Most Call Obama s Press Coverage Fair June 5-8 Has press coverage of Total Rep Dem Ind Barack Obama been % % % % Too critical 16 4 22 15 Not critical enough 26 57 6 28 Fair 53 34 69 52 Don t know 5 5 3 5 Total Rep Dem Ind April 24-27 % % % % Too critical 15 8 26 10 Not critical enough 26 51 6 28 Fair 55 37 66 56 Don t know 5 4 2 6 Currently, seven-in-ten (69%) Democrats say the press has been fair, as do a majority of independents (52%). By contrast, about a third (34%) of Republicans say coverage of Obama has been fair, while a majority (57%) say that coverage has not been critical enough. The opinions of Fox News viewers stand in stark contrast with regular viewers of MSNBC. Four-in-ten of those who regulary watch Fox say coverage of the president has not been critical enough, roughly the same as the share (42%) that says coverage has been fair. By contrast, two-thirds of MSNBC viewers say that Obama coverage has been fair, while 20% say it has been too critical. Just 12% say it has not been critical enough. Those who regularly watch CNN hold views similar to those of the MSNBC audience, though a slightly smaller share (58%) sees coverage as fair. Opinions about press coverage of Obama among regular newspaper readers and those who regularly get news online fall somewhere between those of regular cable news consumers. Majorities of those who regularly get news from either newspapers (57%) or the internet (52%) say that Obama s coverage has been fair. Roughly three-inten regular newspaper readers and online news consumers say that the press has not been critical enough in covering Obama (27% and 28%, respectively). Slightly more of regular internet news conusmers (17%) than regular newspaper readers (13%) find the coverage to be too critical of Obama. How Different News Audiences View Obama s Coverage Coverage of Obama has been Not critical Too Gets news enough critical Fair regularly from % % % Fox News Channel 40 16 42 Radio 33 12 52 Internet 28 17 52 Newspapers 27 13 57 Local TV 25 17 54 Network news 21 17 60 CNN cable news 15 24 58 MSNBC news 12 20 66 4

Many Aware of Limbaugh Comments About Sotomayor More than a quarter of Americans (27%) say they heard a lot and 33% say they heard a little last week about radio commentator Rush Limbaugh calling Obama s Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, a racist. Regular viewers of the cable news channels were more likely to have heard about Limbaugh s comments. About four-in-ten (41%) regular MSNBC viewers, 37% regular CNN viewers and 33% regular Fox viewers say they had heard a lot about this story. Equal proportions of Republicans and What the Public s Hearing About A A Nothing lot little at all DK How much have you heard about % % % % Rush Limbaugh calling Sotomayor a racist 27 33 40 * Barack Obama attending D-Day commemoration 23 42 35 * Obamas trip to New York for dinner, show 23 36 41 * Muslims reactions to Obama s speech in Egypt 21 41 37 * Conan O Brien s premiere as host of Tonight Show 21 39 40 1 NBC News specials about life inside White House 15 29 55 * Michelle Obama and children traveling to Paris 9 35 55 1 Democrats say they heard a lot about Limbaugh s criticisms of Sotomayor (30% of Republicans, 31% of Democrats). Fewer than one-in-four (23%) say they heard a lot about Obama taking part in ceremonies in France commemorating D-Day, the start of the critical World War II battle. Another 42% say they heard a little about this. Not surprisingly, a greater share of Americans 65 and older (34%) say they heard a lot Obama commemorating D-Day than those younger than 40 (12%). Among those 40 to 64, 28% say they had heard a lot about Obama s appearance. The same percentage say they heard a lot about Barack and Michelle Obama s night out in New York City (23%). Among the major cable news channels, comparable shares of regular viewers say they heard a lot about the date night (29% for Fox viewers, 32% for MSNBC viewers and 29% for CNN viewers.) Obama s speech in Cairo was among the most followed stories of the week, but only two-in-ten (21%) say they heard a lot about Muslim reaction to the address. Another 41% said they had heard a little about feedback in the Muslim world,while 37% say they heard nothing at all about this. Overall, 21% say they heard a lot about Conan O Brien s start as host of The Tonight show last week. A larger share of those younger than 40 heard at least something (64% heard a lot or a little) about O Brien s premiere than those 65 and older. Among that group, 52% had heard nothing at all about this. 5

Only 15% of the public say they heard a lot about NBC News prime time specials about life inside the Obama White House. More than half (55%) say they heard nothing at all about this. Not surprisingly, regular MSNBC viewers were more likely to have heard a lot about these special reports than the regular Fox News audience (26% vs. 16%, respectively). A trip by Michelle Obama and her two daughters to Paris was not a widely recognized story. Just one-in-ten (9%) say they heard a lot about the Obamas visiting Paris last weekend. A majority (55%) heard nothing at all about their trip. These findings are based on the most recent installment of the weekly News Interest Index, an ongoing project of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. The index, building on the Center s longstanding research into public attentiveness to major news stories, examines news interest as it relates to the news media s coverage. The weekly survey is conducted in conjunction with The Project for Excellence in Journalism s News Coverage Index, which monitors the news reported by major newspaper, television, radio and online news outlets on an ongoing basis. In the most recent week, data relating to news coverage were collected from June 1-7, 2009 and survey data measuring public interest in the top news stories of the week were collected June 5-8, 2009 from a nationally representative sample of 1,005 adults. 6

About the News Interest Index The News Interest Index is a weekly survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press aimed at gauging the public s interest in and reaction to major news events. This project has been undertaken in conjunction with the Project for Excellence in Journalism s News Coverage Index, an ongoing content analysis of the news. The News Coverage Index catalogues the news from top news organizations across five major sectors of the media: newspapers, network television, cable television, radio and the internet. Each week (from Monday through Sunday) PEJ compiles this data to identify the top stories for the week. The News Interest Index survey collects data from Friday through Monday to gauge public interest in the most covered stories of the week. Results for the weekly surveys are based on telephone interviews among a nationwide sample of approximately 1,000 adults, 18 years of age or older, conducted under the direction of ORC (Opinion Research Corporation). For results based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls, and that results based on subgroups will have larger margins of error. For more information about the Project for Excellence in Journalism s News Coverage Index, go to www.journalism.org. About the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press is an independent opinion research group that studies attitudes toward the press, politics and public policy issues. We are sponsored by The Pew Charitable Trusts and are one of seven projects that make up the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. The Center's purpose is to serve as a forum for ideas on the media and public policy through public opinion research. In this role it serves as an important information resource for political leaders, journalists, scholars, and public interest organizations. All of our current survey results are made available free of charge. All of the Center s research and reports are collaborative products based on the input and analysis of the entire Center staff consisting of: Andrew Kohut, Director Scott Keeter, Director of Survey Research Carroll Doherty and Michael Dimock, Associate Directors Michael Remez, Senior Writer Juliana Menasce Horowitz, Robert Suls, Shawn Neidorf, Leah Christian and Jocelyn Kiley Research Associates Kathleen Holzwart and Alec Tyson, Research Analysts 7

PEW RESEARCH CENTER FOR THE PEOPLE & THE PRESS JUNE 5-8, 2009 NEWS INTEREST INDEX OMNIBUS SURVEY TOPLINE N=1005 NO QUESTION 1 Q.2 As I read a list of some stories covered by news organizations this past week, please tell me if you happened to follow each news story very, fairly, not too, or not at all. First, [INSERT ITEM; RANDOMIZE] [IF NECESSARY Did you follow [ITEM] very, fairly, not too or not at all? ] Very Fairly Not too Not at all DK/ Refused a. Barack Obama s speech addressed to the Muslim world in Egypt 26 27 18 28 * b. The murder of a Kansas doctor who performed late term abortions 16 28 22 33 * c. General Motors declaring bankruptcy 29 37 19 14 * May 29-June 1, 2009: Reports that GM may go into bankruptcy 34 40 17 9 * TREND FOR COMPARISON: 1 May 1-4, 2009: Financial problems in the U.S. auto industry 32 42 17 8 1 April 24-27, 2009 30 39 16 15 * April 3-6, 2009 31 35 16 18 * February 20-23, 2009: U.S. automakers seeking billions in federal loans to avoid bankruptcy 33 34 22 11 * December 19-22, 2008: Bush administration plan for emergency loans to U.S. automakers 37 33 16 13 1 December 12-15, 2008: Debate over a government bailout for U.S. auto industry 40 33 18 9 * December 5-8, 2008: Debate in Congress over a bailout for U.S. auto industry 34 38 17 11 * November 21-24, 2008 41 26 17 15 1 November 14-17, 2008: Problems facing U.S. automakers 30 35 20 15 * October 31-November 3, 2008: Possible merger of GM and Chrysler 16 28 24 31 1 May 18-21, 2007: DaimlerChrysler sells Chrysler 8 20 25 46 1 September 28-October 1, 2007: Agreement between GM and UAW ending strike 14 28 28 30 * 1 For May 29-June 1, 2009 the item was listed as: Reports that General Motors may go into bankruptcy. February 20-23, 2009 asked about: U.S. automakers seeking billions of dollars in federal loans to avoid bankruptcy. December 19-22, 2008 asked about The Bush administration s plan to provide billions in emergency loans to U.S. automakers. December 12-15, 2008 asked about The debate over a government bailout for the U.S. auto industry. November 21-24, 2008 and December 5-8, 2008 asked about The debate in Congress over a government bailout for the U.S. auto industry. November 14-17, 2008 asked about: News about problems facing U.S. automakers. October 31-November 3, 2008 asked about: The possible merger of automakers General Motors and Chrysler. May 18-21, 2007 asked about: DaimlerChrysler s decision to sell Chrysler to a private equity firm. January, 1992 and December, 2005 asked about: The major job cuts announced by General Motors. June, 1998 asked about: The merger of the Chrysler Corporation and Daimler Benz. September 28-October 1, 2007 asked about An agreement between General Motors and the United Auto Workers union that ended a two-day strike over wages and job security. 8

Q.2 CONTINUED Very Fairly Not too Not at all DK/ Refused December, 2005: General Motors job cuts 22 30 26 21 1 June, 1998: Chrysler/Daimler Benz merger 12 22 27 38 1 January, 1992: General Motors job cuts 35 38 18 9 * d. An Air France flight that crashed in the Atlantic Ocean 28 35 20 16 0 TREND FOR COMPARISON: May 15-18, 2009: The investigation into a February plane crash in Buffalo, New York 17 26 25 33 * Feb. 13-16, 2009: A plane crashing into a house near Buffalo, New York, killing 50 people 32 39 16 13 * Jan. 16-19, 2009: Plane landing in Hudson 44 34 14 8 * November, 2001: Crash of an American Airlines plane near JFK Airport in New York 48 34 13 4 1 February, 2000: Crash of an Alaskan Airlines jet near Los Angeles 35 40 17 8 * December 1999: Crash of EgyptAir plane off the coast of New England and its investigation 30 44 15 10 1 June, 1999: Crash of an American Airlines flight in Arkansas 19 38 25 17 1 March, 1999: The derailment of an Amtrak train in Illinois 29 39 19 12 1 July 1996: Crash of a Paris-bound TWA plane off the coast of New York 69 23 6 2 * February 1996: Recent train crashes in Maryland, Colorado and New Jersey 24 40 24 11 1 September, 1993: Amtrak train wreck in Alabama 40 37 15 7 1 February, 1990: Crash of Columbian airliner near JFK airport in New York 33 39 18 10 0 e. Reports about the condition of the U.S. economy 41 34 11 14 * May 29-June 1, 2009 43 37 11 8 * May 21-24, 2009 44 35 13 9 * May 15-18, 2009 44 35 12 8 * May 8-11, 2009 42 34 12 12 * May 1-4, 2009 47 36 11 5 1 April 17-20, 2009 52 30 10 7 1 April 9-13, 2009 48 29 13 10 0 March 27-30, 2009 48 32 10 10 * March 20-23, 2009 52 34 8 6 * March 13-16, 2009 48 33 9 10 * February 27-March 2, 2009 56 30 8 6 * February 13-16, 2009 55 29 10 6 * January 30-February 2, 2009 52 31 12 5 * January 23-26, 2009 57 30 8 5 0 January 16-19, 2009 43 35 13 9 * January 2-4, 2009 42 36 15 7 * December 12-15, 2008 51 33 9 7 * December 5-8, 2008 42 38 13 7 * November 21-24, 2008 59 24 9 8 * November 14-17, 2008 56 29 9 6 * November 7-10, 2008 54 31 8 7 * 9

Q.2 CONTINUED Very Fairly Not too Not at all DK/ Refused October 31-November 3, 2008 63 27 6 4 * October 24-27, 2008 52 35 7 5 1 October 17-20, 2008 62 29 6 3 * October 10-13, 2008 65 25 7 3 * October 3-6, 2008 69 23 5 3 * September 26-29, 2008 70 22 5 3 * September 19-22, 2008 56 27 12 5 * September 5-8, 2008 44 33 16 7 * August 29-31, 2008 41 34 13 11 1 August 15-18, 2008 39 36 15 10 * August 8-11, 2008 39 35 16 10 * August 1-4, 2008 47 34 11 8 0 July 25-28, 2008 46 32 10 12 * July 18-21, 2008 45 33 13 9 * July 11-14, 2008 44 33 12 10 1 June 27-30, 2008 49 31 12 7 1 June 13-16, 2008 42 33 14 11 * May 9-12, 2008 45 31 13 11 * May 2-5, 2008 43 31 15 10 1 April 18-21, 2008 41 35 13 10 1 April 4-7, 2008 39 37 12 12 * March 28-31, 2008 42 36 14 8 * March 20-24, 2008 45 33 13 9 * February 29-March 3, 2008 38 35 15 11 1 February 15-18, 2008 37 36 11 16 8 February 1-4, 2008 40 37 14 8 1 January 18-21, 2008 42 31 16 11 * January 11-14, 2008 36 32 15 16 1 November 2-5, 2007 27 37 16 19 1 October 19-22, 2007 25 34 20 21 * August 10-13, 2007 28 36 18 18 * Mid-November, 2006 31 40 17 11 1 December, 2005 35 35 18 11 1 Early November, 2005 35 39 17 9 * Mid-May, 2005 30 39 19 11 1 January, 2005 35 41 17 7 * Mid-October, 2004 30 43 16 10 1 Early September, 2004 39 34 15 11 1 Mid-January, 2004 37 41 15 7 * December, 2003 35 38 14 11 2 November, 2003 40 34 15 10 1 October, 2003 32 39 16 12 1 September, 2003 39 30 18 12 1 March, 2003 40 35 16 8 1 February, 2003 42 33 15 10 * January, 2003 40 35 13 11 1 December, 2002 38 34 17 10 1 February, 2002 35 40 15 9 1 January, 2002 30 44 16 9 1 December, 2001 37 40 13 8 2 Mid-November, 2001 41 36 15 7 1 June, 2001 24 41 18 16 1 May, 2001 34 36 15 15 0 10

Q.2 CONTINUED Very Fairly Not too Not at all DK/ Refused April, 2001 36 34 16 13 1 February, 2001 30 39 18 12 1 January, 2001 32 38 17 11 2 June, 1995 26 41 22 11 * March, 1995 27 45 19 9 * February, 1995 23 41 22 13 1 December, 1994 28 43 20 9 * October, 1994 27 40 20 12 1 June, 1994 25 42 23 10 * May, 1994 33 40 16 10 1 January, 1994 34 39 16 10 1 Early January, 1994 36 44 13 7 * December, 1993 35 41 15 8 1 October, 1993 33 38 20 9 * September, 1993 37 40 14 8 1 Early September, 1993 39 39 14 9 * August, 1993 41 36 14 9 * May, 1993 37 38 18 6 1 February, 1993 49 36 10 5 * January, 1993 42 39 12 7 * September, 1992 43 37 13 6 1 May, 1992 39 39 15 6 1 March, 1992 47 38 11 4 * February, 1992 47 37 10 6 * January, 1992 44 40 11 5 * October, 1991 36 38 16 9 1 f. The NBA Finals 13 9 12 67 * TREND FOR COMPARISON: June 20-23, 2008: The Boston Celtics winning the NBA Finals 18 17 22 42 1 Q.3 Which ONE of the stories I just mentioned have you followed most, or is there another story you ve been following MORE? [DO NOT READ LIST. ACCEPT ONLY ONE RESPONSE.] 22 Reports about the condition of the U.S. economy 21 An Air France plane crashing into the Atlantic Ocean 17 Barack Obama s speech addressed to the Muslim world in Egypt 13 General Motors declaring bankruptcy 7 The NBA Finals 5 The murder of a Kansas doctor who performed late term abortions 7 Some other story 9 Don t know/refused 11

On another topic Q.4 Do you think the press has been too critical, not critical enough or fair in the way it has covered Barack Obama? Apr 24-27 Mar 27-30, Jan 23-26, Jan 2-4, 2009 2009 2009 2 2009 16 Too critical 15 18 12 11 26 Not critical enough 26 24 18 23 53 Fair 55 52 64 61 5 Don t know/refused (VOL.) 4 6 6 5 Q.5 How much if anything, have you heard about each of the following? Have you heard a lot, a little or nothing at all? [READ AND RANDOMIZE] Nothing DK/ A lot A little at all Refused a. Conan O Brien s premiere as host of The Tonight Show 21 39 40 1 NO ITEM B c. Rush Limbaugh calling Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor a racist 27 33 40 * d. Barack and Michelle Obama going to New York for dinner and a Broadway show 23 36 41 * e. NBC News s prime time specials about life inside the Obama White House 15 29 55 * f. Reactions in the Muslim world to Barack Obama s speech in Egypt 21 41 37 * g. Barack Obama attending a D-Day commemoration in France 23 42 35 * h. Michelle Obama and the kids traveling to Paris 9 35 55 1 Q.6 Now I'd like to ask you about where you get most of your news these days. For each item that I read, please tell me if it is something you do regularly, or not. [READ AND RANDOMIZE] Yes, No, not DK/ regularly regularly Refused a. Watch the local TV news 66 34 * b. Watch the Fox New cable channel 38 62 1 c. Watch MSNBC cable news 25 74 1 d. Watch CNN cable news 31 68 1 2 For Jan. 23-26, 2009, question wording was: Do you think the press has been too critical, not critical enough or fair in the way it has covered Barack Obama during his first few days in office? For Jan. 2-4, 2009, question was asked about George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Question wording was: Do you think the press has been too critical, not critical enough or fair in the way it has covered [INSERT ITEM; ROTATE]? 12

Q.6 CONTINUED Yes, regularly No, not regularly DK/ Refused e. Watch the national nightly network news on CBS, ABC and NBC 40 60 * f. Read the newspaper 51 49 * g. Listen to radio news 44 55 1 h. Get news from the internet 51 49 * 13