2004 Annual Report on the State of the News Media
Internet Topline
| Sample Dates: | |||||
| July - 14 | |||||
| August - 5, 15 | |||||
| September - 10, 25 | |||||
| BY STORY | |||||
| TOTAL N = 709 STORIES | |||||
| Total | 9:00 AM | 1:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 9:00 PM | |
| N=709 | N=176 | N=177 | N=181 | N=175 | |
| TIMEFRAME | % | % | % | % | % |
| Pre-Iraq Combat Operations (January 1 to February 15) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lead-Up to Iraq Combat (February 16 to March 16) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Iraq Combat Operations (March 17 to May 1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Post-Combat Operations (May 2 to October 6) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| STORY LENGTH | % | % | % | % | % |
| 100 Word or Less | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 101-500 Words | 19 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 16 |
| 501-1000 Words | 54 | 57 | 52 | 51 | 55 |
| Above 1000 Words | 27 | 24 | 28 | 27 | 29 |
| STORY ORIGINATION | % | % | % | % | % |
| Staff Reported | 32 | 29 | 32 | 33 | 35 |
| Wire Service | 42 | 47 | 41 | 40 | 41 |
| Combo Staff/Wire | 23 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 23 |
| Other News Organization/Corporate Connection | * | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Other News Organization/External Ownership | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| BIG STORY/RECURRING LEAD | % | % | % | % | % |
| All Big Stories | 59 | 62 | 57 | 60 | 54 |
|
All Iraq-Related Big Stories |
19 | 22 | 19 | 21 | 13 |
|
All Other Intl. Big Stories |
10 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 6 |
|
All U.S. Based Big Stories |
29 | 29 | 24 | 30 | 35 |
| Not a Big Stories/Recurring Lead | 41 | 38 | 43 | 40 | 46 |
| PROTAGONIST | % | % | % | % | % |
| All Single Protagonist | 31 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 30 |
| All Institutional Protagonist | 12 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 16 |
| No Protagonist | 58 | 61 | 58 | 58 | 54 |
| STORY TOPIC | % | % | % | % | % |
| ALL GOVERNMENT | 21 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 24 |
|
Exec. Branch/Admin |
5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
|
Nat'l/State/Local (Legislation or Institution) |
5 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
|
Government Agencies |
* | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
|
Law/Courts |
5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
|
Campaigns/Elections |
6 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| DEFENSE | * | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| ALL DOMESTIC AFFAIRS | 22 | 21 | 20 | 24 | 22 |
|
Disease/Public Health |
1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Education |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Environment |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Health Care System |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Transportation |
1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Terrorist Acts |
14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 13 |
|
Terrorism – Prevention Efforts |
6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|
Domestic Affairs Other |
* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| BUSINESS / COMMERCE | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| CRIME | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| ALL FOREIGN AFFAIRS | 18 | 21 | 23 | 18 | 12 |
|
Foreign Affairs-Diplomacy |
3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
|
Foreign Affairs-Military Activities |
15 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 10 |
| ALL ACCIDENTS / DISASTERS | 20 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 23 |
|
Accidents (no intent) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Unusual Weather |
3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
|
Catastrophes/Disasters (no intent) |
16 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 19 |
| SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Science |
* | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Medical Research |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Technology |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| CELEBRITY/ENTERTAINMENT | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Entertainment/Celeb |
1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Celeb. Crime/Scandal |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LIFESTYLE | 9 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 10 |
|
Human Interest/Popular Behavior |
* | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Pop Culture |
* | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
|
Health Trends |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Religion |
3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
|
Travel |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Cooking/Food |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Family/Parenting |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Civilization/Culture/High Arts |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Sports |
3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
|
Other |
* | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| OTHER | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
|
Consumer News |
* | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|
News Media |
1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Oddball News |
* | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
Weather (non-disaster) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Other |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STORY TOPIC BY REGION | % | % | % | % | % |
| All Local/Metro | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 |
| All Regional | 12 | 19 | 12 | 8 | 8 |
| All National | 39 | 26 | 36 | 44 | 51 |
| All U.S.-Related International | 26 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 20 |
| All Non-U.S. Related International | 13 | 16 | 15 | 10 | 9 |
| SOURCING: NAME/TITLE WITH RELATIONSHIP | % | % | % | % | % |
| None | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| One to Three | 40 | 37 | 39 | 41 | 41 |
| Four or More | 59 | 63 | 58 | 57 | 58 |
| SOURCING: UNNAMED/UNTITLED | |||||
|
WITH RELATIONSHIP EXPLAINED |
% | % | % | % | % |
| None | 61 | 55 | 54 | 65 | 69 |
| One to Three | 30 | 32 | 36 | 30 | 23 |
| Four or More | 9 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 9 |
| SOURCING: UNNAMED/NO EXPLANATION | |||||
|
OF RELATIONSHIP |
% | % | % | % | % |
| None | 100 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| One to Three | * | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Four or More | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STORY FRESHNESS | % | % | % | % | % |
| Package/Story/Interview - Exact Replay | 21 | 0 | 26 | 28 | 31 |
| Repeat Story - No Substantive, New Information | 14 | 0 | 20 | 15 | 21 |
| Repeat Story - New Angle Added, W/OUT New Information | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Repeat storyline - WITH Substantive, New Information | 14 | 0 | 16 | 19 | 21 |
| New Story, First Appearance | 49 | 100 | 34 | 36 | 25 |
| VIDEO LINK | % | % | % | % | % |
| No Link | 68 | 67 | 69 | 64 | 70 |
| Link Presented | 32 | 33 | 31 | 36 | 30 |
| AUDIO LINK | % | % | % | % | % |
| No Link | 98 | 97 | 98 | 98 | 98 |
| Link Presented | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| PHOTO ESSAY/GALLERY LINK | % | % | % | % | % |
| No Link | 64 | 61 | 63 | 65 | 67 |
| Link Presented | 36 | 39 | 37 | 35 | 33 |
| GRAPHIC/MAP LINK | % | % | % | % | % |
| No Link | 84 | 84 | 82 | 83 | 86 |
| Link Presented | 16 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 14 |
| ARCHIVE/RELATED STORIES LINK | % | % | % | % | % |
| No Link | 26 | 32 | 25 | 22 | 25 |
| Link Presented | 74 | 68 | 75 | 78 | 75 |
| FEEDBACK/CHAT LINK | % | % | % | % | % |
| No Link | 60 | 59 | 59 | 61 | 60 |
| Link Presented | 40 | 41 | 41 | 39 | 40 |
| EXTERNAL SITE LINK | % | % | % | % | % |
| No Link | 67 | 67 | 67 | 69 | 67 |
| Link Presented | 33 | 33 | 33 | 31 | 33 |
| *NOTE: Due to rounding, totals may not equal 100%. | |||||
| Due to sample dates, Internet comparisons to other media in the study are limited. | |||||