Section IV: Values and the Press

Press Going Too Easy on Bush
Bottom-Line Pressures Now Hurting Coverage, Say Journalists

by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press

Overview
Section I: Views on Performance
Section II: Covering the President and the Campaign
Section III: Today’s Changing Newsroom
Section IV: Values and the Press

NOTE: This report is also available on the Pew Research Center Web site.

Section IV: Values and the Press

Journalists at national and local news organizations are notably different from the general public in their ideology and attitudes toward political and social issues. Most national and local journalists, as well as a plurality of Americans (41%), describe themselves as political moderates. But news people – especially national journalists – are more liberal, and far less conservative, than the general public.

About a third of national journalists (34%) and somewhat fewer local journalists (23%) describe themselves as liberals; that compares with 19% of the public in a May survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. Moreover, there is a relatively small number of conservatives at national and local news organizations. Just 7% of national news people and 12% of local journalists describe themselves as conservatives, compared with a third of all Americans.

In this regard, Internet journalists are similar ideologically to local journalists: 57% describe themselves as moderates, while 27% say they are liberals and 13% conservatives. Local TV and radio journalists include the lowest percentage of liberals of any of the journalist groups surveyed (15%). Even among local TV and radio journalists, however, just 13% describe themselves as conservatives.

Major Differences: God and Morality, Homosexuality

The 1995 survey of journalists found particularly sharp differences between journalists and the public when it came to attitudes toward morality and homosexuality. A solid majority of Americans consistently have expressed the opinion that it is necessary to believe in God to be a moral person. Nearly six-in-ten (58%) expressed that view in a 2002 Pew Research Center survey, while 40% said that belief in God is not a prerequisite for morality. Journalists, regardless of their organization and position, take a decidedly different view. Fully 91% of those who work at national news organizations say it is not necessary to believe in God to be moral; 78% of local journalists agree.

As was the case in 1995, journalists are much more accepting of homosexuality than is the general public. Overwhelming majorities of national (88%) and local (74%) say homosexuality should be accepted by society. Only about half of the public agrees (51%).

Since the mid-1990s, however, public support has increased for societal acceptance of homosexuality, while journalists’ attitudes have been more stable. In a 1993 Times-Mirror survey, most Americans (53%) said homosexuality should be discouraged; today a narrow majority (51%) believes homosexuality should be accepted. National journalists also have become slightly more accepting of homosexuality since 1995 (83% then, 88% today), while local journalists’ views have been stable (75% then, 74% today).

More Agreement on Safety Net

There is more common ground between news professionals and the public in attitudes toward individual freedom and government assistance for needy people. Identical majorities of local journalists (58%) and the public (58%) say it is more important that Americans be free to pursue their goals without government interference, than that government guarantee that no one is in need.

National journalists are divided over this question – 49% place higher priority on freedom from government interference while 42% say it is more important that the government play an active role to guarantee aid to the needy. Opinion among Internet journalists divides along similar lines: 51% believe freedom from government interference is more important; 43% say a government guarantee of aid for the needy is more important.

Conservative Journalists Secular Too

There is a broad consensus among news professionals, regardless of their ideology, that it is not necessary to believe in God to be moral. But other issues – homosexuality and the government’s role in aiding the needy – produce wider fissures along ideological lines.

Journalists who identify themselves as liberals are virtually unanimous in their view that homosexuality should be accepted by society (95% agree). More than eight-in-ten moderates (84%) agree. But only about half of conservatives (49%) say homosexuality should be accepted.

The news people surveyed also are deeply divided over the question of whether individual freedom, or government aid to the needy, is more important. Liberals by a wide margin (61%-33%) place greater priority on government guarantees of aid for the needy. By contrast, conservatives overwhelmingly say it is more important that everyone be free to pursue life’s goals (88%); just 9% feel it is more important for government to guarantee that no one is in need.

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Section III: Today’s Changing Newsroom

Press Going Too Easy on Bush
Bottom-Line Pressures Now Hurting Coverage, Say Journalists

by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press

Overview
Section I: Views on Performance
Section II: Covering the President and the Campaign
Section III: Today’s Changing Newsroom
Section IV: Values and the Press

NOTE: This report is also available on the Pew Research Center Web site.

Section III: Today’s Changing Newsroom

Newsroom staff cutbacks are hitting print journalism at both the national and local level. About half of respondents working at newspapers or magazines (48% nationally, 54% locally) say the size of their newsroom staff has decreased in the past three years. Relatively few in the print sector are seeing growth in the number of staff.

The picture is more mixed in television and radio, with about equal numbers saying their newsrooms are growing as shrinking. About half (47%) of those in national broadcast media say there has been no change in staffing compared with three years ago.

One significant change in the news business is growth in the practice of repackaging and repurposing news stories for multiple uses. About half of both national and local respondents (48% each) say they are doing this more now than in the past; print and broadcast journalists at each level are similar in this respect.

At the same time, relatively few voice unhappiness with this trend, with the notable exception of local broadcast reporters. Three-in-ten local TV reporters (29%) say they are unhappy over repackaging stories for multiple purposes. That compares with only about one-in-ten national radio and TV news people, and similar percentages of national and local print journalists.

Most journalists today give good ratings to the quality of leadership in their own organizations, a view that has changed little since 1999. At the national level, 30% of news professionals say their management is doing an excellent job, and 41% say they are doing a good job. There is relatively little difference between national print and broadcast media in leadership ratings. But over half of executives at the national level say the quality of leadership is excellent (and 38% rate it as good). Senior newsroom staff and line journalists are less positive.

At the local level, 22% overall rate leadership as excellent, and nearly half (47%) say the quality is good. Ratings are higher among local newspaper journalists than among those in television and executives rate leadership more positively than reporters and producers.

Training and professional development programs are fairly common in newsrooms today. About half (47%) of national journalists and 56% of local journalists say they have participated in such activities provided by their news organization in the past twelve months. Among those who have taken part in training, close to half say they participated in such a program for five days or more over the past year.

Executives and senior editors and producers are more likely than line staff to report having taken part in professional development activity. Respondents who have participated in training rate their own news organization’s management more highly than those who have not participated, and this is especially true of reporters.

In a related area, large majorities of respondents (76% nationally and 77% locally) say there are ongoing management efforts to address ethical issues in their newsroom, about the same as in 1999. As with training and professional development, those who report that their organizations are engaged in this activity rate their management more favorably.

Internet’s Impact Mostly Positive

Most news professionals (60% at the national level, 51% locally) say the emergence of the Internet has made journalism better; very few say it has hurt journalism. These views are fairly similar to those expressed by journalists in 1999. More local journalists say the Internet has had either a positive or negative impact, with higher percentage today saying it has made journalism worse (18% compared with 8% in 1999). Only local news executives are divided over the Internet’s impact: 31% say it has been good for journalism; 27% view it negatively.

Not surprisingly, enthusiasm about the Internet is greatest among younger respondents in the survey. More than seven-in-ten (72%) of those under 35 years of age think the Internet has been good for the profession; just 13% view it negatively. Journalists age 35 and older also have a generally positive view of the Internet’s impact, though by a much smaller margin (54% better, 15% worse).

Changes for the Better

Those who believe the Internet has helped journalism most frequently cite its power as a research tool. Nearly half of those who see a positive impact of the Internet mention some aspect of the Internet as a convenient place to find timely information, to get data at any hour of the day, and to do fact-checking on deadline. Those who work for local news organizations are especially likely to mention this benefit of the Internet (61% of local vs. 47% of national and 16% of Internet journalists).

Another widely noted positive impact of the Internet is its ability to deliver information to the public more quickly and to promote greater competition among news organizations. This view is much more prevalent among print journalists than among those working in TV and radio. A frequent comment within this theme is that print journalism now has the ability to compete with television and radio for breaking news. Also, the speed of the Internet in delivering information was the single most cited benefit among journalists who work primarily on their organization’s websites.

About one-in-five say the Internet has helped journalism by making far more information available to the public, and by helping to improve the accuracy of the information. A related notion, mentioned about as often, is that the Internet has broadened the range of outlets and voices available to the public. This includes more points of view, deeper stories, and coverage of topics and stories that otherwise would not have fit into existing time and space available. These changes have forced journalism to be more innovative and responsive to the public; one respondent said the Internet has “democratized the press.”

A less common argument for why the web has made journalism better is that the Internet has made journalism more accountable by enabling the public – and other journalists – to more easily verify the accuracy of information and communicate these concerns directly to those who produced a report. Only around one-in-twenty who see the web as having had a positive influence make this case.

Changes for the Worse

Those who think the Internet has been bad for journalism most often cite the fact that it promotes the spread of unvetted and unfiltered information to the public; nearly half (53% national, 45% local) cite this concern. Others express a related concern about the speed and pressure of the Internet leading to too many factual errors in news coverage (17% national, 29% local).

Another concern raised by some is that the Internet has promoted the rise of pseudo-journalism, “junk” sites, and low-brow news. One negative consequence cited by several respondents is that “news” reported on these sites force mainstream journalists to waste time chasing down baseless rumors and innuendo. In a similar vein, a smaller group refers specifically to the Internet having damaged the credibility of journalism in the mind of the public.

Around one-in-ten who see the Internet as having a bad influence on journalism say the web has made journalists lazy by allowing them to do research at their desks rather than going out into the field, with some specifically stating that the Internet has made plagiarism too easy.

Internet’s Downside

The survey’s respondents were asked specifically about two issues related to the growth of the Internet: increased deadline pressures, and the potential spread of misinformation and rumors into the news. Majorities of both print and broadcast journalists say that the Internet has increased the amount of bad information that finds its way into news stories. Overall, 65% of national journalists and 57% of local journalists agree; smaller numbers think there has been no change (31% nationally, 38% locally). Hardly anyone thinks the Internet has reduced the amount of misinformation in circulation, though only 38% of those working with websites think the problem is worse because of the Internet.

But there is a considerable difference of opinion on the Internet’s impact on deadline pressures. Majorities overall believe the Internet has neither increased nor decreased such pressures (55% of national respondents, 60% of local respondents feel this way). Hardly anyone thinks deadline pressures have declined, and 42% at the national level and 35% at the local level say the pressure is greater.

Within these averages there is a great deal of variation by type of medium and by job title. At both the national and local level, print journalists are far more likely than TV and radio journalists to say deadline pressure has been increased by the Internet. National media executives are more likely than their editors or line journalists to feel this way. And, perhaps not surprisingly, those whose principal job responsibility is Internet-based journalism are the most likely to feel greater deadline pressures (78%).

Journalists in the Online Sector

The poll included a separate sample of 68 journalists whose job responsibilities include managing, editing, or writing for the online outlets of national and local news organizations. Job titles for this group of respondents included “online content manager,” “online editor,” “website manager,” and the like.

For the most part, online journalists are not significantly different from others demographically with the exception of age. The average age of respondents in the Internet group is 42, compared with 46 among the rest of the sample. Similarly, those working in online jobs had an average of 18 years experience, compared with 22 years for the rest of the respondents. More say they have undergone training or professional development activities provided by their organization (66% vs. 52%). And far more say the Internet has increased their deadline pressures.

Given the evolving nature of news organizations’ websites, it is no surprise that those in the online sector say they are doing more repackaging of stories than in the past: 71%, versus 48% for other journalists. But more are happy about the change than unhappy by a margin of five-to-one (44% vs. 9%).

In most cases, the opinions of online journalists track closely with non-Internet journalists regarding the state of the profession, the reasons for declining audiences, the validity of criticisms about journalism, the quality of their own news organization, and their own personal and political

values. They are somewhat more likely than their counterparts who work in broadcasting to say journalists have become out of touch with their audiences, and to offer that a boring and static news product is one reason some media are facing declining audiences, but many print journalists share this concern. In that vein, more online journalists than others in both print and broadcasting see the changing media environment as the biggest problem facing journalism.

Not surprisingly, most of the key differences between the views of online journalists and others pertain to the role of the Internet itself. One of the biggest differences is that majorities (57%) of those whose principal job is not in online journalism say the Internet allows too much posting of links to material that is unfiltered or unvetted; just 28% of those working in the sector agree that this is a valid criticism. Similarly, far more of those who do not primarily work on their news organization’s website say the Internet has allowed more misinformation to find its way into news stories (61%, compared with just 38% among online journalists). And fewer Internet than non-Internet journalists say the Internet has hurt journalism (3% versus 16%).

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Section II: Covering the President and the Campaign

Press Going Too Easy on Bush
Bottom-Line Pressures Now Hurting Coverage, Say Journalists

by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press

Overview
Section I: Views on Performance
Section II: Covering the President and the Campaign
Section III: Today’s Changing Newsroom
Section IV: Values and the Press

NOTE: This report is also available on the Pew Research Center Web site.

Section II: Covering the President and the Campaign

Many journalists today feel that news media has lost its critical edge – especially when it comes to coverage of the Bush administration. Reporters and editors in national news organizations, in particular, feel the press has gone too easy on the Bush administration. Moreover, the perception that news organizations have gone soft is not confined to attitudes about coverage of Bush. An increasing number of both national and local journalists feel the traditional criticism of the press as too cynical is no longer valid. Indeed, on both the national and local level, more fault the press for being too timid than too cynical.

The journalists surveyed give middling ratings to national news coverage of Bush’s presidency. A narrow majority of national journalists (53%) give the coverage a grade of A or B; local journalists are far less generous in their grading of how their colleagues in national news organizations have covered Bush (43% A or B). In a similar survey in 1995, national journalists, in particular, offered more positive opinions of coverage of the Clinton administration (65% A or B).

The journalists are somewhat more positive in their assessments of the presidential campaign. A majority of national journalists (56%) say coverage of the campaign has been better than coverage of the 2000 campaign. Local journalists are more divided: 46% say coverage of the current campaign is better than in 2000, while 34% say it is worse.

Differences Over Bush Coverage

Solid majorities of national print and TV journalists, as well as Internet journalists, say the media has not been critical enough in its coverage of the administration. A smaller plurality of local print journalists agree (46%).

But local television journalists, on balance, feel the coverage of the Bush administration has been fair. A plurality of this group (44%) believes the coverage has been fair; moreover, nearly as many say coverage has been too critical of the administration (25%) as say it has been not critical enough (28%).

Ideological Divisions

Much has been made of the public’s ideological divisions in this election year, but journalists also are divided along ideological lines over several issues, including press coverage of the Bush administration. Liberals who work in national and local news organizations overwhelmingly feel the press has not been critical enough of the Bush administration. Roughly two-thirds of liberal journalists (68%) express that view, compared with 28% who say coverage has been fair and 3% who believe the press has been too critical of the administration.

Self-described moderates offer a mixed judgment of the Bush coverage – about the same percentages say it has not been critical enough (44%) and fair (43%). But most conservatives (53%) think the press has been too critical of the administration, compared with 30% who view it as fair and 17% who think it has been too critical.

Beyond Bush: Cynicism Concerns Decline

In the 1999 survey, narrow majorities of both national (53%) and local (51%) journalists agreed that the statement, “the press is too cynical,” represented a valid criticism of news organizations.

But there has been a dramatic decline in the percentage of national and local journalists who feel the press can be legitimately criticized for excessive cynicism. Just 37% of national journalists and only slightly more local journalists (40%) view the press as too cynical. This pattern is even more apparent among Internet journalists: 24% view the press as too cynical, compared with 48% five years ago.

Internet journalists, in particular, believe that the press can be faulted for being too timid rather than too cynical (56% too timid vs. 24% too cynical). Journalists working at national news organizations agree (47% vs. 37%). But local journalists are split: 42% view the press as too timid, 40% too cynical.

Ideological Coverage – Valid Criticism?

Overall, news people are divided over whether journalists today too often let their own ideological views show in their reporting. Similar percentages of national (45%) and local (43%) journalists view this as a valid criticism.

But local executives, in particular, approach this issue very differently. Roughly seven-in-ten local news executives (73%) say coverage too often reflects a journalist’s ideology; roughly six-in-ten national news executives (62%) agree that this is not a valid criticism of the press.

By comparison, there is broad agreement across the spectrum of reporters, managers and executives that is a bad thing if news organizations take a “decidedly” ideological point of view in their coverage of the news. Fully 72% of national journalists and 74% of local journalists have a negative view of news organizations taking a strongly ideological stance in their coverage.

Fox’s Outsized Impact

Most national and local journalists do not believe any national daily news organization is “especially liberal” in its news coverage. Roughly six-in-ten in both groups (62% national/59% local) say no national daily news organization strikes them as particularly liberal in its coverage. Among the minority that names a specific news organization as being especially liberal, the New York Times was mentioned most frequently (20% national/17% local).

By contrast, solid majorities of both national and local journalists say there is an organization that they think is especially conservative – and for most the organization that comes to mind is Fox News Channel. Fully 69% of national journalists cited Fox News Channel as especially conservative in its coverage. Fewer local journalists (42%) mentioned Fox; still, a much higher percentage of local journalists named Fox than any other single news organization, conservative or liberal.

Roughly two-thirds of self-described conservatives (68%) could identify a specific news organization that is especially liberal, and the same number (68%) could name a news organization that is “especially conservative.” But moderates and liberals could identify conservative news organizations far more often than liberal ones. Roughly three-quarters of liberals (74%) and a majority of moderates (56%) say they couldn’t think of any news organization that is especially liberal.

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The following list comprises the sources used throughout this report.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | V | W&X | Y | Z

A

Advertising Age, “100 Leading Media Companies,” AdAge.com. Companies are ranked by their total media revenues collected in the U.S. in 2003. Available online at: http://www.adage.com/page.cms?pageId=1158.

Frank Ahrens, “Delays, Low Fines Weaken FCC Attack on Indecency,” Washington Post, November 10, 2005 .

Alternative Weekly Network, “Alternative Weekly Reader Comparison 1995 – 2005”

Alternative Weekly Network demographic data.

American Journalism Review, “Journalism’s Backseat Drivers,” August/September 2005.

American Society of Newspaper Editors, “Newsroom Employment Survey,” Table A, published April 12, 2005 . Available online at: http://www.asne.org/index.cfm?id=5646.

Chris Anderson, “The New Boom,” Wired, February 2006.

Julia Angwin, Kevin J. Delaney and Peter Grant, “Google, Comcast Seek Piece of AOL,” the Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2005

Julia Angwin and Kevin J. Delaney, “Microsoft Pushes to Seal AOL Advertising Linkup,” the Wall Street Journal, December 7, 2005

Julia Angwin, “Fox quietly gears up its business channel to challenge CNBC,” Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2005 .

Arbitron, “Public Radio Today: How America Listens to Public Radio Stations,” June 13, 2005

Arbitron/Edison Media Research, “Internet and Multimedia 2005: The On-Demand Media Consumer,” March 23, 2005

Arbitron, “Radio Today: How America Listens to Radio, 2005 Edition,” December 22, 2004 .

Tom Ashbrook, “The Assault on NPR,” Boston Globe, May 26, 2006 .

Association of Alternative Newsweeklies member pages.

Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, unpublished circulation figures.

“Broadband Subscriber Growth Slows,” Associated Press, October 17, 2005 .

“Los Angeles Times suspends ‘Wikitorials,’ Associated Press, June 21, 2005 .

AP, “Viacom Details Split Plans,” CBS News Web site, August 5, 2005 .

“AP to launch online video network; Board approves general assessment and licensing plan,” Associated Press press release, July 21, 2005

Douglas Arthur, “Knight Ridder: A Scenario Analysis,” Morgan Stanley, November 29, 2005 . Available online at: http://www.poynterextra.org/KR/Research.pdf

“Google Localizes Online Maps Service,” The Associated Press, October 6, 2005 .

Agence France Presse, “Murdoch’s NewsCorp sees earnings jump,” August 10, 2005 .

Atlanta Business Chronicle, “Cumulus grows with Susquehanna acquisition,” October 31, 2005 .

Eric Auchard, “Web Map Tracks Demand for Major News ,” Reuters, August 18, 2005 .

Audit Bureau of Circulations, publisher’s statements and audit reports for Time, Newsweek, US News and World Report, The New Yorker, The Economist, Jet, The Atlantic, The Week, People, In Touch, The Star

Audit Bureau of Circulations, publisher’s statements for La Opinion, El Diario, El Nuevo Herald.

Ayala, Nancy , “ ‘Rumbo’ secures $18 Million for New Investors,” Marketing y Medios, June 13, 2005 .

Abigail Azote, “Post-Rather, CBS news really sinks,” Media Life Magazine online archives, April 25, 2005

Abigail Azote, “A winter’s chill descends on ‘Nightline,’ ” Media Life, January 26, 2006 .

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B

Katy Bachman, “Fox Buffs Up Local News,” Media Week, October 10, 2005 .

Katy Bachman, “Mixed News for Houston PPM,” Media Week.com, September 20, 2005 .

Katy Bachman, “Clear Channel Applauds Its ‘Less is More’ Initiative,” Billboard Radio Monitor, May 17, 2005 .

Katy Bachman, “TVB: TV ad revenues grew by 12 percent in 2004”, Media Week, March 17, 2005 .

Ben Bagdikian, The Media Monopoly, (Beacon Press: 2000)

Ed Bark, “Alert the media: CNN back to hard news”, Dallas Morning News, June 25, 2005

Jason Bates, EU Broadcasting: Regional Populations Creating Demand, Via Satellite, September 1, 2005 http://www.telecomweb.com/cgi/pub/via/via09010503.html

Stephen Battaglio, “New boss in town,” TV Guide, November 30, 2005 .

John Battelle, The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture (Portfolio Hardcover: 2005).

“$80bn Google takes top media spot,” BBC News, June 8, 2005 .

Belo Corp. presentation to CFSB Media Week Investors Conference, December 2005.

Bendixen and Associates for New California Media, The Ethnic Media in America : The Giant Hidden in Plain Sight, June 7, 2005 , p. 11.

Paul Berger, “Get it together: Blog collectives seek to draw ads,” Online Journalism Review, December 9, 2005 .

Jonathon Berr, “Ad spending growth slows; web, cable, Spanish media doing best,” Orlando Sun-Sentinel, September 5, 2005 .

Robert Bianco, “More is Much Less in Revamped ‘Nightline,’ ” USA Today, November 30, 2005 .

BIAfn Press Release, “BIA Financial Network Reports that Hispanic Television Stations Continue to Grow in Numbers and in Shares”, BIA Web site, June 16, 2005 .

BIAfn Press Release, “BIA Financial Network reports on revenue growth of top television station owners over the past four years,” BIA Web site, May 12, 2005 .

BIA Subscription News Commentary, “Upheaval in the Lineup of Local Television Stations,” BIAfn, January 25, 2006

BIAfn TV Industry Overview, 2005.

AP, “Casper Television Stations cancels evening news broadcast,” Billings ( Mont. ) Gazette, January 5, 2006 .

HD Update, “Shut-Off Date Is (Finally) Official”, Broadcasting & Cable, February 9, 2006 .

“NBC Quietly Marks End of an Era,” Broadcasting & Cable, January 1, 2005 .

“Google adds software designed to track success of customers’ ads,” Bloomberg News, November 15, 2005 .

“Microsoft and Associated Press to Join in New Video Distribution,” Bloomberg News, November 10, 2005 .

Hal Bodeker, “Solar power: Local stations and networks are tapping into the energy of the morning-news hours,” Orlando Sentinel, September 7, 2005 .

“What Local Web Sites Earn: 2005 Survey,” Borrell Associates Inc., March 2005.

“N.Y. Times circulation plummets in Big Apple,” The Boston Herald, January 12, 2006 .

Broadcasting & Cable, “PTC Drives Spike in Smut Gripes,” November 14, 2005 .

Merrill Brown, “I Webbed the news today – oh boy!” Seattle Times, September 11, 2005 .

Sandy Brown, “Google Does Web Another Favor,” TheStreet.com, December 20, 2005 .

Rick E. Bruner, “The Decade in Online Advertising, 1994-2004,” Doubleclick.com, April 2005.

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C

Pete Carey, “Knight Ridder said to urge cuts” Contra Costa Times, January 25, 2006 .

Carnegie Corporation of New York , “Use of Sources for News.” Available online at: http://www.carnegie.org/pdf/AbandoningTheNews.ppt#0.

Bill Carter, “Amid Rumors, ‘Today’ Marks 10 Years as Weekly Ratings King,” New York Times, December 8, 2005 .

Bill Carter, ‘Ted Koppel and Crew to Join Discovery,” New York Times, Jan. 5, 2006 .

Steve Case, “It’s Time to Take It Apart,” the Washington Post, December 11, 2005 .

CBS Corporation Company Profile, online at: http://www.cbscorporation.com/our_company/index.php

Center for Digital Democracy, “Broadcast Lobby’s Indecent Posture: Asking for Big Public Hand-out,” Market Watch, April 26, 2004 . Online: http://www.democraticmedia.org/news/marketwatch/NABhandout.html

Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School , “Fifth Study by the Digital Future Project Finds Major New Trends in Online Use for Political Campaigns,” December 7, 2005 . Available online at: http://www.digitalcenter.org/pdf/Center-for-the-Digital-Future-2005-Highlights.pdf.

Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School , unpublished data, January 2006.

Center for the Media Research, “18-24 Year Olds Most Influenced by New Media,” July 11, 2005 .

Center For Media Research, “Critical Mass Podcasting Expected by 2010,” December 8, 2005 .

Center for the Media Research, “Media Habits of Affluent Adults,” February 22, 2005 .

Renee Chen, Esther Thorson and Stephen Lacy, “The Impact of Newsroom Investment on Newspaper Revenues and Profits at Small and Medium Newspapers, 1998-2002,” Journalism and Mass Communications Quarterly, Autumn 2005.

“ Cincinnati newspaper agreement will not be renewed after 2007,” Cincinnati Post, January 16, 2004 .

ClickZ, “Internet Penetration: Critical Mass, Then What?” July 6, 2005 . Available online at: http://www.clickz.com/experts/crm/actionable_analysis/article.php/3517561.

CNN.com, “Poll: Most Americans unfamiliar with blogs,” March 3, 2005 .

“Online ad sales soaring, report says,” CNN/Money, November 16, 2005 . Available online at: http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/16/technology/web_ads/

GE Profile on the Columbia Journalism Review’s “Who Owns What” (http://www.cjr.org/tools/owners/ge.asp),

comScore Networks, “ Advertisers Take Note: Internet Streaming Video Now Reaches More Mature Audiences,” December 1, 2005 .

Jim Conaghan, “Outlook 2006,” Presstime,” January 2006. Available online at: http://www.naa.org/Presstime/PTArtPage.cfm?AID=7378.

Consumer Reports WebWatch, “Leap of Faith: Using the Internet Despite the Dangers,” October 26, 2005 . Available online at: www.consumerWebwatch.org/pdfs/princeton.pdf.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Office of Inspector General, “Report of Review: Review of Alleged Actions Violating The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, as Amended,” Report No. EPB503-602, Pg. 6, November 15, 2005 .

Robert W. Crandall, Robert W. Hahn, Robert E. Litan, and Scott Wallsten, (“Universal Broadband Access: Implementing President Bush’s Vision,” AEI-Brookings Joint Center For Regulatory Studies, May 2004. Available online at: http://www.aei-brookings.org/admin/authorpdfs/page.php?id=941.

CSFB Media Week presentations, December 2005.

Tim Cuprisin, “Channel 18’s 9 p.m. News Might Sign Off,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 16, 2006 .

Anthony Crupi, “CBS White House Correspondent Roberts Joins CNN,” Media Week, February 1, 2006 .

Anthony Crupi, “CNN Names Gallagher Faith and Values Corr,” Media Week, September 7, 2005 .

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D

Paul Davidson, “Martin Known as Consensus Builder,” USA Today, October 30, 2005 .

Wendy Davis, “Deutsche Bank: Online Ad Spending Up 11 % in Q2,” Media Post, July 18, 2005 .

Wendy Davis, “Marketers Shift Budget To Local Sites,” Media Post, October 19, 2005 .

Wendy Davis, “ OMMA Keynote: Online World Unprepared For Influx Of Marketing Dollars,” Online Media Daily, June 7, 2005

Wendy Davis, “Online Rivals Papers, Surpasses Yellow Pages Among Local Shoppers,” Media Daily News, March 23, 2005 .

Davies, Jennifer, Gluttons for Gossip, San Diego Union-Tribune, September 3, 2005 .

Heidi Dawley, “Time-wise, Internet is now TV’s equal,” Media Life Magazine, February 1, 2006 .

Jay DeFoore, “More Than 2,000 Newspaper Jobs Lost in 2005,” Editor & Publisher November 17, 2005 . (The 2,000 total includes jobs in all departments, not just news.)

Michael Deibert, “Newspaper Ad Spending Climbs, Albeit Mostly Online,” Media Post, August 23, 2005

John Dempsey, “The Fox ripple effect,” Variety, March 13, 2005 .

Stefano DellaVigna & Ethan Kaplan, “Fox News Effect: Media Bias and Voting,” U.C. Berkeley, August 15, 2005 . Retrieved from http://emlab.berkeley.edu/users/sdellavi/

“Free Fall for U.S. Newspapers’ Circulations,” Digital Deliverance, November 1, 2004 . Available online at: http://www.digitaldeliverance.com/MT/archives/000474.html.

Tom Dorsey, “CNN‘s fidgeting isn‘t helping in race to catch Fox News,” The Courier-Journal, July 23, 2005.

Geoff Dougherty, “Emmis Communications sells 9 TV stations for $ 681M,” The Chicago Tribune, August 23, 2005 .

Kevin Downey, “Payout: Clear Channel’s ratings are up,” Media Life Magazine (www.medialifemagazine.com), January 24, 2006 .

Kevin Downey, “For Nielsen, a Most Delicate Dilemma,” Media Life, November 18, 2005 .

“ U.S. Stocks End Slightly Lower; Oil at 5 1/2 Month Low,” Dow Jones, November 29, 2005 .

Duffy, Brian, memo as reprinted on the Poynter Online Forum http://poynter.org/forum/?id=32127

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“The battle of the portals,” The Economist, October 22-28,2005 .

“The online ad attack,” The Economist, April 27, 2005 .

“International Yearbook,” Editor & Publisher, 2005.

“Listen Up! Oxford Dictionary Picks Its ‘Word of the Year,’ and It’s ‘Podcast,’ ” Editor and Publisher, December 8, 2005

“Scripps Closing Birmingham Post-Herald, Dissolving JOA,” Editor and Publisher online, September 22, 2005 .

“TimesSelect Draws About 135,000 Paid Users for Exclusive Online Offerings,” Editor and Publisher, November 9, 2005

“Top 20 Papers By Circulation, According to New FAS-FAX,” Editor & Publisher, November 7, 2005 .

2004 Editor and Publisher Yearbook Online data, 1940-2003, www.editorandpublisher.com

Rick Edmonds, “As Blogs and Citizen Journalism Grow, Where’s the News?” Poynter Online, November 14, 2005 . Available online at: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=9139.

Rick Edmonds, “A Bad Year for Newspaper Stocks – A Worse Year for the Gray Lady,” Poynter Online, January 12, 2006. Available online at: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=94997

Rick Edmonds, “An Online Rescue for Newspapers?” Poynter Online, January 27, 2005 . Available online at: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=77603\

Rick Edmonds, “Ignoring the Elephants in Newspaperland,” Poynter Online, December 3, 2004.

Rick Edmonds, “The Next Bad Thing for Newspapers? More Circulation Woes,” Poynter Online, November 3, 2005.

Rick Edmonds, “Trouble on the Top Line,” Poynter Online, June 27, 2005. Available online at: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=84473.

John Eggerton, “DTV Bill Signed into Law,” Broadcasting & Cable, February 8, 2006 .

John Eggerton, “Bill Bennett Joins CNN,” Broadcasting & Cable, January 25, 2006 .

John Eggerton, “Wolzien Exiting Sanford Bernstein”, Broadcasting & Cable, July 15, 2005

Ben Elgin, “Gunning for Google,” Business Week, November 8, 2005 .

Tobi Elkin, “AOL Eyes Web Video Sales Opportunities, Says “Upfront” Not Likely,” Media Post, March 14, 2005

Stuart Elliott, The New York Times, “With Fewer Paying Up, AOL.com Shifts to Free,” October 14, 2005.

Stuart Elliot, “To promote a cable network, a plan to inundate the Internet,” New York Times, December 12, 2005 .

“The Broadband Revolution: You Say You Want a Definition,” emarketer, March 30, 2001

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Ross Fadner, “Newspapers Brace for Google Free WiFi Plan,” Media Daily News, October 7, 2005 .

Fadner, Ross, Newsstand Sales Soar for Celebrity Magazines, November 15, 2005 , http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=36309

Financial Wire, “NBC, Time Reach Agreement,” October 25, 2005 .

Jon Fine, “Net to Newspapers: Drop Dead,” BusinessWeek online, July 4, 2005.

Lauren Rich Fine, “Newspaper Primer, 5th Edition,” Merrill Lynch, May 11, 2001 .

Lauren Rich Fine, “Tribune Co. – Is There a Way to Surface Value: A Scenario Analysis,” analyst’s report for Merrill Lynch, November 8, 2005 .

Lauren Rich Fine, “2006: A Bifurcated Year or Before KRI, After KRI,” Merrill Lynch, January 9, 2006 .

Lauren Rich Fine, “Q4 Preview,” Merrill Lynch, January 17, 2006 .

Mark Fitzgerald, “Editor of the Year 2004: Being Julia, In Atlanta ,” Editor & Publisher, February 1, 2005 .

Mark Fitzgerald, “Shield Law Sponsor: Bloggers ‘Probably Not’ Considered Journos,” Editor and Publisher, October 10, 2005 .

Toni Fitzgerald, “CNN Headline News topples MSNBC,” Media Life Magazine, March 31, 2005 .

Toni Fitzgerald, “CNN Headline News topples MSNBC,” Media Life Magazine, March 31, 2005 .

Lucinda Fleeson, “Bureau of Missing Bureaus,” American Journalism Review, October/November 2003.

Franklin Foer, “The Journal At Sea,” New York , September 12, 2005 .

David Folkenflik, Morning Edition, June 30, 2005 .

AP, “Laredo TV Station drops newscast, staff,” Fort Worth Star Telegram, January 4, 2006 .

Jon Freidman, “Happy Birthday CNN. Now form an identity,” Market Watch, June 10, 2005 .

Wayne Friedman, “NBC Buys up More of MSNBC from Microsoft,” Media Post Magazine, December 27, 2005 .

Wayne Friedman, “NBC Buys Up More of MSNBC from Microsoft,” Media Post Magazine, December 27, 2005 .

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Gallup Poll, May 23-26, 2005 .

Gannett, “ Gannett completes acquisition of HomeTown Communications Network’s assets; Richard Aginian named consultant and president and publisher of Detroit suburban group,” Gannett press release, March 31, 2005 . Available online at: http://www.gannett.com/go/press/pr033105.htm.

Jill Geisler, “Morale, Motivation and Balance,” Poynter Online, March 7,2005. Available online at: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=34&aid=79346.

Gary Gentile, “Five Tribune Papers to Seek Job Cuts,” Chicago Tribune, November 17, 2005 . (The Hartford Courant announced its cuts later).

Mark Glaser, “GrayLady.com: NY Times explodes wall between print, Web,” Online Journalism Review, August 8, 2005

Donald Graham presentation to CSFB Media Week Investors Conference, December 6, 2005 . Available online at: htt p://library.corporate-ir.net/library/62/624/62487/items/176243/CSFB_12.6.05.pdf.

Clark Gilbert and Scott D. Anthony, “Newspapers in an Electronic Age,” the Wall Street Journal, November 8, 2005 .

Paul Ginocchio, “Auto: Turning the Corner or Are the Wheels Coming Off,” Deutsche Bank Securities, January 17, 2006 .

Paul Ginocchio, “Circulation Declines Accelerate Again,” Deutsche Bank Securities, November 8, 2005 .

Paul Ginocchio, “Newspaper Publishers Keeping Cash in Circulation,” Deutsche Bank Securities, August 11, 2003 .

Paul Ginocchio, “Newspaper Publishers: Private Company Outlook, ” Deutsche Bank Securities, December 1, 2005 .

Mark Glaser, “GrayLady.com: NY Times explodes wall between print, Web,” Online Journalism Review, August 8, 2005

Mark Glaser, “Two Times One,” Media , October 2005.

Antone Gonsalves, “”Online Ad Spending Projected To Slow,” Tech Web News, May 6, 2005.

Matea Gold, “Koppel will do in-depth shows for Discovery; Ex-Nightline anchor to focus on topics like international affairs, race, religion,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 5, 2006

Paul Gough, TV News Section, Hollywood Reporter, June 22, 2005 .

Michele Greppi, “Geraldo prepping new daily show,” Television Week, October 3, 2005 .

Marisa Guthrie, “CBS’ Roberts jumps to CNN,” New York Daily news, February 2, 2006 .

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Hall’s Reports research. Unpublished data. www.hallsreports.com

Saul Hansell, “As Gadgets Get It Together, Media Makers Fall Behind,” the New York Times, January 25, 2006 .

Saul Hansell, “Big Hitters Said to Want Piece of AOL,” the New York Times, October 13, 2005 .

Saul Hansell, “An Ex-ABC Impresario Aims to Build the Studio of the Future,” the New York Times, September 24, 2005 .

Saul Hansell, “Google wants to dominate Madison Avenue, too,” the New York Time s, October 30, 2005

Saul Hansell, “It’s Not TV, It’s Yahoo,” the New York Times, September 24, 2005 .

Saul Hansell, “More People Are Watching Their Programs on the Web, The New York Times, August 1, 2005 .

Saul Hansell, “Yahoo Hires Journalist to Report on Wars,” the New York Times, September 12, 2005 .

Saul Hansell, “Yahoo plans to connect services with TiVo,” the New York Times, November 7, 2005

Saul Hansell and Geraldine Fabrikant, “New Free Site May Affect Time Warner Decision on Troubled Unit,” the New York Times, June 3, 2005 .

Saul Hansell and Geraldine Fabrikant, “Why Time Warner Has Fallen in Love With AOL, Again,” the New York Times, September 26, 2005 .

Harris Interactive/ Public Relations Society of America , “Executive, Congressional and Consumer Attitudes Toward Media, Marketing and the Public Relations Profession,” November 10, 2005 .

Paul Heine, “Hollander: A Radio Shift is Underway,” Billboard Radio Monitor, September 27, 2005 .

Samantha Henig, “Larry Kramer on CBSNews.com, Transparency, and Having 1,500 Employees for a Web Site,” CJR Daily, July 29, 2005 .

Eric Herman, “Pressure Rises for Trib Chief,” Chicago Sun-Times, January 3, 2006 .

Neil Hickey, “TV on Steroids,” Columbia Journalism Review, March/April, 2004.

John M. Higgins, “CBS: In the Money,” Broadcasting & Cable, January 8, 2006 .

John M. Higgins, “The Battle for Fifth Place,” Broadcasting & Cable, February 27, 2006 .

John M. Higgins, “D’Alba keeps fighting for CNN”, Broadcasting & Cable, October 17, 2005 .

Jonathan Higuera, Print Reorganizes, Hispanic Business.com, December 2005.

Hoovers.com, Univision Communications fact sheet.

“Media Consumption Study,” Hoy & TNS Market Development, October 11, 2005 . Online at: http://www.hoyinternet.com/acerca/hoy-press092305eng,0,305692.story.

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ImpreMedia press release, “ ImpreMedia Enters Florida Market with Purchase of La Prensa,” January 31 2006 .

“Internet Advertising Revenues Estimated To Exceed $12.5 Billion For Full Year 2005,” Interactive Advertising Bureau, March 1, 2006 .

Interactive Advertising Bureau, “Interactive Advertising Revenues Grow Nearly 33% As 2004 Totals $9.6 Billion,” April 28, 2005 .

Interactive Advertising Bureau, “Q2 Reports Close to $3 Billion in Internet Advertising Revenues,” September 26, 2005 .

“CNBC girds for Fox Business threat,” www.investors.com, September 21, 2005 .

Impremedia. Newspapers page.

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Peter Johnson, “ABC News team makes formal debut tonight,” USA Today, January 3, 2005 .

Peter Johnson, “Webcasts, blogs allow flexibility,” USA Today, January 3, 2006 .

Chris Jones and J.M. Kalil, “ Las Vegas Sun to rise with morning R-J,” Las Vegas Review Journal, June 15, 2005 .

Jupiter Media, “Jupiter Research Forecasts Online Advertising Market To Reach $18.9 Billion By 2010; Search Advertising Revenue to Surpass Display,” Jupiter Media press release, August 15, 2005 .

Mark Jurkowitz, “Amid cuts, Herald loses newsroom veterans,” Boston Globe, June 11, 2005 .

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KAET, Arizona State University ’s public television station Web site.

Kagan Research, “Economics of Basic Cable Networks 2006,” Kagan Research, LLC, June 2005.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, “Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year-olds,” March 2005. Available online at: http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/Generation-M-Media-in-the-Lives-of-8-18-Year-olds-Report.pdf.

Ken Kerscbaumer, “CNN Opens Up Pipeline,” Broadcasting and Cable, December 5, 2005

Ken Kerschbaumer, “TV on the PC gets real: Time Warner launches trial in San Diego ,” Broadcasting & Cable, August 8, 2005 .

David Kesmodel, “Papers Turn to ‘Podcasting’ In Bid to Draw More Readers,” the Wall Street Journal, May 13, 2005 .

Kirk Whisler & Latino Print Network, “Hispanic Publications in 2004,” Carlsbad . California .

Kirk Whisler & Latino Print Network, “Hispanic Publication Advertising Sales in 2004,” Carlsbad , California .

Kirk Whisler & Latino Print Network, “Hispanic Publication Advertising Sales in 2003,” Carlsbad , California .

Abbey Klaasen, “CNN‘s Aaron Brown out; Anderson Cooper moved to 10 p.m.,” Ad Age, November 3, 2005.

Klaassen, Abbey, “Looking for a Grinch? Try Media Company CEOs,” Ad Age.com, December 16, 2005

Howard Kurtz, “Ted Koppel and Nightline Crew Turn Down HBO for Discovery Deal,” Washington Post, Jan. 5, 2006

Howard Kurtz, “ U.S. News Gives a Top Political Writer the Pink Slip,” Washington Post, October 5, 2005

Howard Kurtz, “ABC Mulls Changes to ‘Nightline’ With Or Without Koppel,” Washington Post, February 9, 2005 .

Howard Kurtz, “Firms Paid TV’s Tech Gurus To Promote Their Products,” Washington Post, April 20, 2005 .

Howard Kurtz and Frank Ahrens, “Sirius Lands a Big Dog: Howard Stern,” Washington Post, October 7, 2004 .

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Stephen Labaton, “NPR Conflict With Overseer Is Growing,” New York Times, May 15, 2005.

Stephen Labaton, Lorne Manly & Elizabeth Jensen, “Chairman Exerts Pressure on PBS, Alleging Biases,” New York Times, May 2, 2005 .

Paul R. La Monica, “Should GE cancel NBC Universal?” Media Biz on CNN Money, January 19, 2006 . Online at: http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/19/commentary/mediabiz/index.htm.

J.D. Lasica, “Participatory Journalism Puts the Reader in the Driver’s Seat,” August 7, 2003

Robert P. Laurence, “Network news opts for style over substance,” The San Diego Union-Tribune, December 22, 2005 .

Charles Layton, “The Dallas Mourning News,” American Journalism Review, April/May 2005.

Charles Layton, “ Sherman ’s March,” American Journalism Review, February/March 2006.

Michael Learmonth, “Jolly Roger’s Grand Plan,” Variety, October 16, 2005 .

Michael Learmonth, “CNN Flops in February as Fox News Surges,” Daily Variety, March 2, 2005 .

Michael Learmonth, “Fox Nets Record Aud for Prexy Speech: State of the Union address draws in 6.46 million viewers,” Daily Variety, February 1, 2006 .

Jeff Leeds, “Director at XM Resigns as Costs Skyrocket,” New York Times, February 17, 2006 .

Scott Leith, “CNN enshrines fire and ice team of Cooper, Brown,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 30, 2005 .

Scott Leith, “CNN sets up permanent New Orleans bureau to cover Katrina recovery,” Atlanta Journal and Constitution, September 16, 2005 .

Scott Leith, “CNN starts live net video service,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 3, 2005 .

Devin Leonard, “Big News at Dow Jones,” Fortune, January 20, 2006 .

Rob Lever, “Blogs take giant step towards mainstream,” AFP, October 19, 2005 .

Gary Levin, “Disney finds place for tweens,” USA Today, October 26, 2005 .

Steve Levingston, “A Trial Separation,” Washington Post, January 4, 2006 .

James L. Levre “The Fox News channel tops CNN’s audience, and casts its eyes toward its advertising rates”, the New York Times, January 30, 2002 .

David Lieberman, “$2.7B deal would put Disney radio unit in Citadel’s hands,” USA Today, February 6, 2006 .

Michael Liedtke, the Associated Press, “New Google Search Engine Boosts Blogging,” September 14, 2005

Robert E. Litan and Alice M. Rivlin, “Projecting the Economic Impact of the Internet,” American Economic Review, 91:2, 2001

Lowry, Tom, “Mighty Week,” Business Week, March 21, 2005

Joel Lunenfeld, “Online Video Advertising is Growing Up,” Media Post’s Online Video Insider, January 23, 2006 .

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Robert MacMillan, “Tsunami Prompts Online Outpouring,” The Washington Post, January 3, 2005 .

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Scott Maier, “Accuracy Matters: A Cross-Market Study of Newspaper Error and Credibility,” Journalism and Mass Communications Quarterly, Autumn 2005.

Steven Mallas, “XM’s Foxy Deal,” The Motley Fool.com, October 21, 2005

Joe Mandese, “TV, Radio, Outdoor Ratings Poised for Transformation, New Alliances,” Media Daily News, July 22, 2005 , posted 8:15am EST.

Carl Marcucci, “Buyers, sellers address the 2006 radio upfront — Part II,” Radio & Television Business Report, October 2005, Volume 22, Issue 10, pg. 14.

Kevin J. Martin, “Protecting Children from Violent and Indecent Programming.” Written statement for the Commission on Commerce, Science and Transportation, U.S. Senate, February 11, 2004 .

Sam Matthews, “BBC hints at launch of 24-hour US news station,” Brand Republic , October 11, 2005 .

Sarah McBride, “TV News Stars Move to NPR And Sound Off,” the Wall Street Journal, January 20, 2006 .

Robert McChesney and John Podesta ,“Let There Be Wi-Fi,” Washington Monthly, January/February 2006.

Mediabistro.com, “More on Atlantic Media’s New Superstar,” April 21, 2005 http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/magazines/more_on_atlantic_medias_new_superstar_20765.asp

“The latest upfront news is, well, news,” Media Daily News, June14, 2005.

Media Mark Research, Inc. (Prepared by NAA Business Analysis and Research Department), “Newspaper Section Readership 2005,” Spring 2004 study. Available online at: http://www.naa.org/marketscope/readership2005/section_readership_2005.pdf.

Mediamark Research, “Magazine Audience Estimates” 1997.

Mediamark Research, “Magazine Audience Estimates” 2005. www.mediamark.com

News Brief, “Kagan: cable has recovered, will grow at double-digit rates,” October 3, 2005 , Media Post Web site.

Don Melvin, “More Americans turn to BBC for news,” Cox News Service, August 26, 2004 .

Meredith Corporation press release, May 24, 2005

Davis Merritt, “Knightfall: Knight Ridder and How the Erosion of Newspaper Journalism is Putting Democracy at Risk.” ( New York , N.Y. : AMACOM Books, 2005)

Donica Mensing and Jackie Rejfek, “Prospects for profit: The (un)evolving business model for online news,” Paper presented to the International Symposium on Online Journalism, University of Texas at Austin, April 9, 2005.

Joel Meyer, “Journal Editorial Report Jumps to Fox News,” Broadcasting & Cable, November 30, 2005 .

Philip Meyer, “The Vanishing Newspaper: Saving Journalism in the Information Age” ( Columbia , University of Missouri Press, 2004).

Mid-Year Media Review presentation. Available online at: http://www.gannett.com/go/press/mymr05/overview.htm

Alex Mindlin, “Browsing the Site, Not Watching the Show,” New York Times, September 19, 2005

Arshad Mohammed, “Verizon Executive Calls for End to Google’s ‘Free Lunch,” the Washington Post, February 7, 2006 .

Monster 2004 annual report and presentation at CSFB Media Week Conference December 2005.

Linda Moss, “Viacom Split Becomes a Reality: Unwinding of Assets Targeted for Early ’06,” Multichannel News, June 20, 2005 .

Keith Moyer, et al. “10 Ways our new design will work for you,” startribune.com (flash presentation). Available online at: http://www.startribune.com/style/graphics/redesign_guide/

MSNBC.com, “Meet the Press No. 1 in November 2005 sweeps,” December 6, 2005 .

MSNBC Profile on the NBC Universal Web site (Company Overview, Television Networks). Online at: http://www.nbcuni.com/About_NBC_Universal/Company_Overview/overview03.shtml

Museum of Broadcast Communications , “U.S. POLICY: TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996,” Museum of Broadcast Communications Web site. Online: http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/U/htmlU/uspolicyt/uspolicyt.htm

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Andrew Nachison, the Media Center at the American Press Institute blog: Morph, June 22, 2005 , 4:53 p.m.

National Newspaper Association, “ America ’s Community Newspapers Grow; Thrive through Change,” December 2005.

National Public Radio Annual Report 2003, pg. 4.

New California Media Directory, National Ethnic Media, 2nd Edition.

News & Technology, “Patriot tab meets end in Harrisburg , Pa. ”November 2005. Available online at: http://www.newsandtech.com/issues/2005/11-05/nt/11-05_patriot.htm

News Corp. Annual Report, June 2005

News Corporation press release, “Speech by Rupert Murdoch to the American Society of Newspaper Editors,” April 13, 2005 . Available online at: http://www.newscorp.com/news/news_247.html.

“2005 Newspaper M & A Values Up 72%, Says Report,” News Inc. January 9, 2006 .

Newspaper Association of America, “Daily & Sunday Newspaper Readers Per Copy Trend,” Simmons and Market Research Bureau (1994-1997); MediaMark Research Inc. (1998-Present); SRDS Circulation prepared by NAA Business Analysis and Research Department, January 9, 2006.

Newspaper Association of America, “Daily and Sunday Newspapers 2005 Readers Per Copy,” prepared by NAA Business Analysis and Research Department, August 27, 2005 .

Newspaper Association of America, “Daily and Sunday Newspapers 2005 Readers Per Copy,” prepared by NAA Business Analysis and Research Dept., MRI Spring 2005; SRDS Circulation 2005.

Newspaper Association of America , “NAA Releases ABC FAS-FAX Analysis,” November 7, 2005 .

Newspaper Association of America , “New Newspaper Audience Database (NADbase) Report Provides Advertisers With Expanded Audience Measurement Data Across Media Platforms,” October 3, 2005 .

Newspaper Association of America , “Over 47 Million People Visited A Newspaper Web Site in September, Representing Nearly A Third of All Internet Users,” November 1, 2005 .

Newspaper Association of America , “Print And Online Newspaper Advertising Up 2.4% In Q3; Up 2.9% In First Nine Months of 2005,” November 22, 2005 .

Newspaper National Network, “Media Engagement Study,” June 15-21, 2005 .

“To Stop Drag, New Anchors,” New York Daily News, January 13, 2006 .

New York Times Company presentation at UBS Warburg Media Week Conference, December 2004.

Newsweek staff box, July 18, 2005

Nielsen Media Research Web site, Local People Meter Roll-Out Schedule, Online: http://www.nielsenmedia.com/lpm/rollout_sched.htm

Yuki Noguchi, “Lycos, Yahoo Pushing to Put Media Online, the Washington Post, October 4, 2005 .

Norris, Floyd, “As Primedia Falls, Preferred Stock Lives up to Its Name,” New York Times, October 26, 2005

Paul Nowell, “FCC Chairman Kevin Martin speaks at inaugural Helms Forum,” Miami Herald, October 11, 2005 .

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Gavin O’Malley, “Bypass Surgery: CBS Skips Cable, Uses Web For 24-Hour News Channel,” MediaPost, July 13, 2005

Gavin O’Malley, “MSNBC.com To Post Entire “NBC Nightly News,” Online Media Daily, November 1, 2005 .

On the Media, “Up from the Wreckage,” Oct 21, 2005 , taken from the program transcript, www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/transcripts_102105_wreckage.html

Kris Oser, “Online Video Ad Spending To Triple By 2007,” AdAge.com, November 17, 2005 .

Online Media Daily, “Media Execs Bullish On Ad Spending,” October 18, 2005 .

Online Publishers Association, “Drivers and Barriers To Online Video Viewing,” February 8, 2005 .

“Washingtonpost.com: News consumption growing online,” Online Publishers Association Intelligence Report, March 7, 2006 .

Online Publishers Association bi-weekly newsletter, August 22- September 2, 2005 .

“New Online Publishers Association Study Identifies Key Experiences That Drive Web Usage,” Online Publishers Association press release, June 1, 2005 .

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Bob Papper, “News Staffing and Probability Survey,” RTNDA Communicator, October 2005.

Bob Papper, “Salary Survey,” RTNDA Communicator, June 2005, pg. 26.

Bob Papper, “Running in Place,” RTNDA Communicator, July/August 2005, Vol. 59, No. 7, pg. 27.

Pamela Parker, “Classifieds Still King but Paid Search Looms Locally,” Clickz.com, September 22, 2005

Sacha Pfeiffer, “ Phoenix Buys into El Planeta,” Boston Globe, September 1, 2005 .

Adam L. Penenberg, “Can Bloggers Strike It Rich?” Wired News, September 22, 2005 .

Pew Hispanic Center , “Changing Channels and Crisscrossing Cultures: A Survey of Latinos on the News Media,” April 2004

The Pew Internet and American Life Project, “Generations online,” December 2005. Available online at: http://www.pewInternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Generations_Memo.pdf.

The Pew Internet and American Life Project, “Selling items online,” November 2005. Available online at: http://www.pewInternet.org/pdfs/PIP_SellingOnline_Nov05.pdf

The Pew Internet and American Life Project, “The state of blogging,” January 2005. Available online at: http://www.pewInternet.org/pdfs/PIP_blogging_data.pdf.

The Pew Internet and American Life Project, “Teen Content Creators and Consumers,” November 2, 2005 .

The Pew Internet and American Life Project, “Usage Over Time” spreadsheet. Available online at: http://www.pewInternet.org/trends/UsageOverTime.xls

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, “Bush a Drag on Republican Midterm Prospects,” February 9, 2006 .

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, “Alito Viewed Positively, But Libby Takes a Toll,” November 8, 2005 . Available online at: http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=262.

Survey by the Pew Research Center , conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Survey conducted September 6- 7, 2005.

Survey by the Pew Research Center , conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International in association with the Project for Excellence in Journalism. Survey conducted June 8- 12, 2005.

Pew Research Center for he People and the Press, “News Audiences Increasingly Politicized,” June 8, 2004 . Available online at: http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=215.

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, conducted in association with the Project for Excellence in Journalism, “Public More Critical of Press, but Goodwill Persists,” June 26, 2005 .

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, “Two in three critical of Bush’s relief efforts,” Pew Research Center , September 8, 2005 . Online: http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=255

The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, Part 1 – The 2005 Political Typology: Beyond Red vs. Blue in “Mapping the Political Landscape, 2005,” Pew Research Center .

Jeremy Polofsky, “Clear Channel renews bid to ease ownership limits,” Reuters, October 3, 2005 .

James Poniewozik, “The Decency Police,” Time Magazine, volume 165, No. 13, March 28, 2005 .

“A midwestern newspaper recently made a surprising declaration in big, brash Texas : Smaller is better,” PRESSTIME, June/July 2005. Available online at: http://www.naa.org/Presstime/PTArtPage.cfm?AID=7063

“Demand for Spanish language news content rising rapidly; Hispanic journalists and news stations registered on the NewsMarket jumps 250%,” PR News Wire, August 25, 2005 .

PRSA/Harris Interactive, “Executive, Congressional and Consumer Attitudes Toward Media, Marketing and the Public Relations Profession.” Study conducted June 7-12, 2005 .

Publisher’s Information Bureau data. January – December 1997 vs. 1996. Excluding data from newspaper magazines

Publisher’s Information Bureau data. January – December 2005 vs. 2004. Excluding data from newspaper magazines.

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Radio Business Report, “Wachovia points its arrow further down,”, e-mail newsletter, September 21, 2005 .

Radio Business Report, “2005 the roll of the Dice; Tracking of a Soft Year,” August 29, 2005 .

Lee Rainie, “We Stand By Our Data,” Pew Internet & The American Life Project, April 6, 2005 .

James Rainey, “Geffen Eyes Another Medium: The Times,” Los Angeles Times, September 17, 2005 .

Antonio Regalado, “Video Blogs Break Out With Tsunami Scenes,” the Wall Street Journal, January 3, 2005 .

The Reporters’ Committee for Freedom of the Press Web site, last accessed February 10, 2006 . Available online at: http://www.rcfp.org/shields_and_subpoenas.html#shield.

Reuters , “TV, radio indecency complaints plunge 96pct-FCC,” September 28, 2005 .

“Mobile blogs give citizen journalism legs,” Reuters, May 21, 2005 .

Bill Richards, “JOA fight may have different twist in next stage,” Seattle Times, August 21, 2005 .

Lori Robertson, “Adding a Price Tag,” American Journalism Review, December/January 2006.

Lori Robertson, “The Chronicle Chronicles,” American Journalism Review, October/November 2005.

J. Max Robins, “Singin’ the News Blues,” Broadcasting & Cable, July 25, 2005 .

Kevin Roderick, interviewed on NPR’s “On the Media,” November 25, 2005 . Online at: http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/transcripts_112505_la.htm.

Allison Romano, “Special Report: Hispanic Television Summit ,” Multichannel News, October 17, 2005 .

Allison Romano, “NBC U Takes Control of MSNBC,” Broadcasting & Cable, December 23, 2005 .

Allison Romano, “Nightly News boss sounds off,” Broadcasting & Cable, December 5, 2005 .

Jay Rosen, “ Greensboro Goes Open Source: A Follow Up,” Pressthink, December 21, 2004 .

Jay Rosen, “The Net Knows More Than You: An Open Letter to the People of CBS News,” PressThink, September 16, 2005 .

Jack Rosenberry, “The Effect of Content Mix on Circulation Penetration for U.S. Daily Newspapers,” Journalism and Mass Communications Quarterly, Summer 2005.

Private conversation with Tom Rosenstiel, director, Project for Excellence in Journalism, principal author of the State of the News Media annual report.

Sean Ross, “What CC’s Spotload Initiative Means For You,” Edison Media Research, July 22, 2004 .

RTNDA News, Staffing and Profitability Survey, RTNDA Communicator, October 2005.

RTNDA Salary Survey, “Median TV News Salary Comparisons Over Time”, RTNDA Communicator, June 2005.

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Lydia Saad, “Blogs Not Yet in the Media Big Leagues,” The Gallup Poll, March 11, 2005 . Available online at: http://poll.gallup.com/con10t/default.aspx?CI=15217.

Jennifer Saba, “Analysts Worry About Newsroom Cuts, As Top Editors in Philly and San Jose Review Options,” Editor & Publisher online, September 28, 2005 .

Jennifer Saba, “Dispelling the Myth of Readership Decline, Editor& Publisher, November 28, 2005 .

Jennifer Saba, “Online Growth Proving to Be Industry’s Life Raft,” Editor and Publisher, August 19, 2005

Jennifer Saba, “Onward ABC Soldiers,” Editor & Publisher, April 2005.

Jennifer Saba, “Report Finds Drop in ‘Other Paid’ in FAS-FAX, Lists Gains and Losses,” Editor & Publisher, November 8, 2005 .

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T

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U

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V

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W & X

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Y

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Z

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Many partners contributed to this report.

The content analysis was designed by the Project in collaboration with six of those partners, Steve Lacy and Fred Fico of The School of Journalism at Michigan State University, Esther Thorson and Ken Fleming of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Andrew Tyndall of ADT Research and Lee Ann Brady, formerly of Princeton Survey Research Associates International. The coding of national print media (web sites, newspapers and blogs) was executed by a team at Missouri under the supervision of Fleming and Thorson. The coding of network TV and cable was executed by ADT Research under the supervision of Tyndall. The local news content (print, radio and television) was coded by a team at Michigan under the supervision of Lacy and Fico. All data was generated by the team at Michigan and by Paul Hitlin of the Project. All conclusions and analysis were sent to the team at Michigan for review.

Daniel Riffe, professor of journalism at Ohio University consulted on the design of the study.

The chapter on newspapers was co-authored by Rick Edmonds of the Poynter Institute. The rest of the chapters were written by the staff of the Project. Bill Kovach, the chairman of the Committee of Concerned Journalists, served as a consultant to the Report.

Andrew Tyndall of ADT Research provided tapes, data and gave particularly close reads and copious suggestions on the chapters on network and cable TV.

From the Project: David Vaina conducted the data aggregation for the newspaper and online chapters. Gauri Malhotra and Atiba Pertilla conducted the data aggregation for the cable and local television chapters. Tom Avila conducted the data aggregation for the radio and network chapters. Dante Chinni conducted the data aggregation for the ethnic, alternative and magazine chapters. Paul Hitlin served as a final reader of all chapters. Jennifer Fimbres managed the budget and distribution.

The firm of Carter Cosgrove designed the website. David Vaina implemented the design and construction of the site with the assistance of Chinni and Malhotra. Tom Avila aided in the visual design of the website as well as the Executive Summary. Pamela Nabholz took the photos that appear on the site. Wendy Kelly of WLK Design will publish the executive summary.

Amy Mitchell, PEJ’s associate director and research director, supervised the project. Tom Rosenstiel is the Project’s director.

Evan Jenkins, a longtime New York Times editor who is now a consulting editor of the Columbia Journalism Review, was the copy editor.

More than twenty-five people served as readers of the chapters. Among them are: Charles Bierbauer, John Carroll, Sandy Close, Wally Dean, Rick Edmonds, Paul Friedman, Ed Fouhy, Bob Giles, Dan Gillmor, Lawrence Grossman, Mark Hanzlik, Samir Husni, Richard Karpel, Katie King, Bill Kovach, Scott Libin, Dick Meyer, Phil Meyer, Victor Navasky, George Niesen, Bob Papper, Jon Petrovich, Deborah Potter, Adam Powell, Lee Rainie, Alan Seraita, Al Stavitsky, Roberto Suro, Andrew Tyndall and Dale Willman. Their thoughtful insights and suggestions greatly improved the chapters, but the readers are in no way responsible for the analysis or narrative accounts in this report. Moreover, the readers were not sources for information, unless explicitly cited in footnotes. In no case did a reader serve as an anonymous source for anything in the report.

Finally, the project could not have been completed without the extraordinary support, both financially and personally, of the Pew Charitable Trusts, particularly Don Kimelman, our friend and colleague, and Rebecca Rimel, whose idea this report was in the first place.

The data for this study were collected in two parts. Much of the study is based on research conducted originally by other people or organizations. Other research, particularly the content analysis, is original work conducted specifically for this report.

For the data aggregated from other researchers, the Project took several steps. First, we tried to determine what data had been collected and by whom for the eight media sectors studied. We organized the data into the six primary areas of interest we wanted to examine: content, audience, economics, ownership, newsroom investment and public attitudes. For all data ultimately used, the Project sought and gained permission for their use.

Next, the Project studied the data closely to determine where elements reinforced each other and where there were apparent contradictions or gaps. In doing so, the Project endeavored to determine the value and validity of each data set. That in many cases involved going back to the sources who collected the research in the first place. Where data conflicted, we have included all relevant sources and tried to explain their differences, either in footnotes or in the narratives. For instance, the differences in online news use are probably explained by how survey questions were phrased — different answers emerge if the question is whether someone ever goes online for news, has done so in the last month or has done so in the last week.

In analyzing the data for each media sector, we sought insight from experts by having at least three outside readers for each sector chapter. Those readers raised questions, offered arguments and questioned data where they saw fit.

All sources are cited in footnotes or within the narrative, and listed alphabetically in a source bibliography. The data used in the report are also available in more complete tabular form online, where users can view the raw material, sort it on their own and make their own charts and graphs. Our goal was not only to organize the available material into a clear narrative, but to also collect all the public data on journalism in one usable place. In many cases, the Project paid for the use of the data.

For the original content analysis research conducted by the Project, the methodology follows.

Content Analysis Methodology

Three distinct categories of media were studied as a part of the 2006 PEJ Day in the Life of the News study — national, local, and Spanish-language media.

National media included national newspapers, national Web sites, network and cable television, and blogs. Local media included local television, local newspapers, local radio, local Web sites and blogs. Spanish-language media included newspapers and broadcast.

ADT Research conducted coding for national cable and network television. The University of Missouri School of Journalism Center for Advanced Social Research conducted coding for national newspapers and Web sites and national and local blogs. The School of Journalism at Michigan State University conducted coding of all local media except for local blogs and Web sites. Spanish-language media — first translated into English — was also coded by the team at Michigan .

Coding for all media except newspaper outlets was for May 11, 2005 . For newspapers, local and national, the May 12 editions were coded. In all, the study examined some 2,125 stories ( not including blogs): 102 in national newspapers, 100 online, 107 on network television, and 312 on cable news. The local media included  538 local TV stories,  420 on local radio, 425 in local print and 43 local online stories. Spanish-language media consisted of 78 (TV and newspaper) stories. In addition to that main analysis, 112 different postings — 104 national and 8 local — were coded under a different coding scheme.

I. National News Media

Sample, Story Procurement and Inclusion

To present a meaningful assessment of the national news content available to the public each day we studied a wide range of media outlets and programs.

Newspapers : the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today. Stories were procured via hard copies of the publications, supplemented by the Nexis database.

All stories with distinct bylines that appeared on a particular newspaper’s front page, on the first page of the local/Metro section, and the first page of the business section were selected for analysis.

Network News :

ABC Today Show ( 7-8 a.m. )

CBS Early Show ( 7-8 a.m. )

NBC Good Morning America ( 7-8 a.m. )

ABC World News Tonight

CBS Evening News

NBC Nightly News

PBS NewsHour

The morning and evening broadcasts were procured through videotape, supplemented by transcripts. Videotaped programs were captured live in the Washington D.C. and New York markets. For evening newscasts, that meant each day’s 6:30 p.m. East Coast feed. PBS supplied the Project with the tape for the NewsHour.

In the mornings, the following content was analyzed: stories read by the newscaster in the half-hourly news blocks; feature and interview segments outside of the news blocks; banter between members of the anchor team whose import was other than to tease coming segments in that day’s program or to promote the network’s programming at some later time. Excluded from the analysis were the content of the weather blocks, local news inserts, commercials, and other content-free editorial matter such as logos, studio shots, openings and closings.

In the evenings the same rules applied, but because the content of those newscasts is less varied, concerns about news blocks, banter, weather blocks and local news inserts were not applicable.

Cable : To assess the nature of the 24-hour news on cable, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC were selected because they were the three most heavily viewed cable news channels in 2005. For each we selected a morning hour, a daytime hour, the closest thing to a traditional newscast and the highest rated prime-time talk show. The following programs were captured and analyzed:

7-8 a.m. on CNN, FOX and MSNBC

11 a.m. – Noon on CNN, FOX and MSNBC

Larry King Live (CNN)

NewsNight with Aaron Brown (CNN)

Special Report with Britt Hume (FOX)

The O’Reilly Factor (FOX)

Hardball with Chris Matthews (MSNBC)

Countdown with Keith Olbermann (MSNBC).

All cable programming was procured through videotapes and supplemented in some cases with transcripts. Taped programs were captured live in the Washington D.C. market, transcripts through the Nexis database.

Web Sites : We downloaded the top stories for the following Web sites at four different times during the day — 9 a.m., 1 p.m. , 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. The national Web sites were:

CNN.com

CBSnews.com

NYTimes.com

Dailynews.Yahoo.com (since changed to news.yahoo.com)

News.google.com

To select the Internet news sites to be coded, the Nielsen/NetRatings’ list of top 20 news sites was consulted to determine the most prominent sites. The list contained four basic types: news aggregators, newspaper sites, network news sites, and cable news sites. One site was chosen for each of those categories. For aggregators, Yahoo was selected as the highest aggregator in top 20. For newspapers, NYTimes.com was selected, again, as the highest of this kind in Nielsen’s list. For network news outlets, CBS was chosen because the study in 2004 examined the Web sites of ABC and NBC but not CBS. For cable, CNN was selected as the highest-ranked cable news site. In addition, we added Google’s news page as one of the newest forms of news content offered, with a unique method of aggregation.

Each site was visited four times on each day, at 9:00 a.m. ET, 1:00 p.m. ET, 5:00 p.m. ET, and 9:00 p.m. ET, to download stories. The order in which the sites were visited was rotated for each capture time. Each download took approximately 20 minutes.

Each time, the following method was used to determine which stories to capture:

On the news home page of each of the sites, we identified featured stories. A story at the top of a page tied in to a graphic element — commonly a picture of an event or person — was counted as a featured story and captured for study. Multiple stories on the page relating to the same graphic element were also captured as featured stories. Pages with more than one graphic element were considered to have more than one featured story, and all such stories were studied.

After the featured stories, we included the next three most prominent stories without graphics starting from the top and moving down. Those stories were recorded as non-featured.

The following rules were used in selecting stories:

• For the sample, we omitted from study video, audio, charts, maps, background/archival information, news tickers, chat and polls.
• Any headline that linked to an outside Web site was also omitted. (But stories attributed to other outlets but present on the site being studied were counted.)
• Links to secondary stories about the same topic were counted as unique stories for the non-featured-stories category.
• A graphic attached to a non-story item (i.e., video, audio, charts, maps, background/archival information, “complete coverage,” chat and polls) was not counted as a story.
• If there were no stories associated with a graphic, then only the top three stories were coded and none were considered featured.
• If there was no graphic present, then no story was considered featured, and the top three stories were counted as non-featured.

Blogs : We used the following criteria to select seven blogs:

First, we looked at the most popular blogs by average daily traffic. Within that list, we started with the most popular blog and then moved down the rankings, establishing a mix of political ideology and geography. Finally, we added a seventh blog, a video blog, or vlog, to see how those differed from more traditional, text-based blogs. The blogs are as follows:

Daily Kos , Instapundit, Eschaton, Talking Points, Little Green Footballs, Power Line and Crooks and Liars as the vlog.

For each blog that day, we captured the entire sequence of postings and all embedded links on the main page. The postings were saved in Netscape and then copied and pasted into an MS Word document.

National Media Coding Procedures and Intercoder Reliability

Text-based Media

The national newspapers, Web site stories (both national and local), and blog postings (both national and local) were content-analyzed by the Center for Advanced Social Research (CASR) of Missouri ’s School of Journalism from July through September 2005. A description of the study’s objectives and data collection procedures was provided in a codebook to orient nine coders and two project managers working on the content analysis (the codebook for blog postings was modified to reflect the uniqueness of blogging in information-gathering and posting determination). The codebook contained a dictionary of coding variables, operational definitions, and measurement scales with detailed instructions and examples. Before actual coding began, extensive training was conducted to all coders, with additional assistance provided by researchers of PEJ. Weekly meetings were held between the coders and project managers to discuss problems and issues identified during the coding process. Coding sheets were designed for each of the media outlets and used consistently throughout the coding process. Because the coding variables were similar across the media outlets, reliability tests were conducted using a random selection of national newspaper stories for all the coding variables. The overall intercoder reliability was .892, calculated with Scott’s Pi (Riffe, Lacy, & Fico, 1998).

Video-based Media

The network television news and cable news programming were content-analyzed by ADT Research, publisher of the Tyndall Report. Since many of the findings are weighted by time spent on each item, it was essential to ensure accurate measurement of the duration of items. They were documented as rundowns with start times and end times, allowing for the duration to be computed as the difference between the two. All of the commercial network broadcasts were viewed twice to derive an accurate inventory and item-length statistics. To double-check the accuracy of all long-format items, coders not only designated packages, interviews (external or in-house) and stand-ups, but also documented a story summary in the form of headlines/slugs and the identity of the reporter or interview subject involved. Those headlines/slugs were also used to double-check topic and major story coding. All coding was conducted via a standardized codebook provided to ADT by PEJ. The codebook contained a dictionary of coding variables, operational definitions, and measurement scales with detailed instructions and examples. Again, before actual coding began, extensive training was conducted, with additional assistance provided by researchers of PEJ. ADT research reported strong reliability for all coding variables.

II. Local News Media

Sample, Story Procurement and Inclusion

For the local sample we selected three markets, one large, one medium-sized and one small. In selecting the three, the list of 210 markets was first divided into thirds based on population. Each group represented roughly one-third of the population, according to Nielsen Media Research. While ensuring geographical diversity, one market was then randomly selected from each group. The resulting markets were Houston (large), Milwaukee (medium) and Bend, Ore., (small).

Within each market, we captured and examined a wide spectrum of local TV, radio, print and online media.

• Local television: We selected all stations with local news, including all network affiliates (including Fox), and any Spanish-language stations with local news.
• Radio: We selected, where possible, one all-news station, one news/talk station (looking for a diversity of affiliation and ownership), and one local NPR station if it carried local news programming beyond top-of-the hour wrap-ups. If there was no all-news station, we selected a second news/talk station, looking for a diversity of ownership. For the purposes of this overview, the Project used unpublished data from BIAfn’s Media Access Pro 4.1 database. Station listings, which included primary format information, were generated for three markets — Houston-Galveston, Milwaukee-Racine, and Bend, Ore. Using the BIAfn data, station format histories were verified and then cross-checked and updated by using information listed on individual station Web sites and with Arbitron’s station information listings. Still, when compared to other radio formats, news is perhaps the most difficult to cleanly define. No precise formula and no real guidelines exist for determining whether a station is a news station, a news/talk station or a talk station. It is also difficult to precisely determine issues like reception that may affect the radio station people might listen to as their “hometown” station. It is wholly possible that someone in Houston or Milwaukee is able to receive the signal of a station from outside either city’s designated market area.
• Print: We examined, where they existed, the city’s largest daily newspaper, the largest suburban daily, two alternative news weeklies (if more than two existed we selected two based on circulation size, focus and ownership), and a Spanish-language daily.
• Blogs: We examined three local blogs, when possible, selecting for a mix of those owned by the mainstream media outlets (such as the local papers) and those owned and run by independents.

The content selected within each medium was as follows:

• Local TV: One hour of morning news, half an hour of evening, half an hour of late-night.
• Local Radio: For each station we selected local news programming. The timing of local news programs varies from stations to station, but we strove to select a segment from the morning drive time, mid-day and evening drive time.
• Local Print: We examined the A (or front), metro/city and business sections for broadsheets. We excluded style, advertising and sports. Weekly tabloids often do not have sections. As a result, for tabloids we examined everything except sports stories, style stories, opinion sections (op-eds, editorials or letters), obituaries, police-beat listings (the crime reports were coded), calendar listings, and classifieds.
• Local Blogs: We examined all postings for the selected day.

The selection criteria led us to the following outlets and content within each market:

Houston

3 local TV stations (CBS, ABC, NBC affiliate)

KHOU-TV Channel 11, CBS affiliate.

6 – 7 a.m.: 11 News This Morning

6 – 6:30 p.m.: 11 News at 6

10 – 10:30 p.m.: 11 News at 10

KPRC Channel 2, NBC affiliate.

6 – 7 a.m. : Local 2 Today at 6

6 – 6:30 p.m. : Local 2 News at 6

10 – 10:35 p.m. : Local 2 News at 10

KTRK – Channel 13, ABC Affiliate

6 -7 a.m.: 13 Eyewitness News at 6

6 – 6:30 p.m.: 13 Eyewitness News at 6 PM

10 – 10:35 p.m.: 13 Eyewitness News at 10

2 local radio (2 news/talk)

News/Talk: KTRH 740 AM

ABC Affiliate and a Clear Channel Station.

1 hour morning: 6 – 7 a.m.

1 hour mid-day: 1-2 p.m.

No local evening news program

News/Talk: KSEV

Owned by Lieberman broadcasting, No affiliation.

1 hour morning: 6-7 a.m.

1 hour evening: 5-6 p.m.

No mid-day news

6 local newspapers (daily, suburban daily, alternative weekly, African-American weekly)

The Houston Chronicle: Houston ‘s main daily paper

The Baytown Sun: Houston ’s largest suburban daily; Baytown is west of Houston .

Houston Press (Alternative): Weekly publication with investigative reporting and coverage of the arts, food and clubs

Houston Forward Times ( African-American weekly): The South’s largest and only independently owned and published African-American weekly newspaper

Three Local Blogs

houston.metblogs.com: This blog is owned by Metroblogging, founded by two Californians. As of May 11, 2005 , they had blogs in 19 U.S. cities and said they would start in any city where they have at least 10 people committed to making postings. The one rule they stipulate is that all posts have to relate to that city somehow, but otherwise it’s fairly open to however individual bloggers see their own city. Subject matter varies.

BlogHouston.net: blogHOUSTON.net is a frequently updated weblog that produces regular commentary on Houston politics and current events, a steady dose of media criticism, and thoughts on Houston ‘s cultural and entertainment options: “We are about Houston .”

www.chron.com/memo (a Houston Chronicle blog): This is the Houston Chronicle blog on pop culture, which does not seem to be updated every day and is criticized by other local bloggers.

Milwaukee

4 local TV stations (CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox):

W TMJ4 – NBC Channel 4

6 -7 a.m. : Live at Daybreak

6 – 6:30 p.m. : Live at 6

10 – 10:35 p.m. : Live at 10

WDJT CBS 58

6 -7 a.m. : CBS 58 Morning News Express

5-5:30 p.m. : CBS 58 News at 5

10 – 10:30 p.m. : CBS 58 News Ten

WISN-TV Channel 12; ABC affiliate

6 – 7 a.m.: 12 News This Morning

6 – 6:30 p.m.: 12 News at 6

10 – 10:35 p.m.: 12 News at 10

WITI Channel 6 ; Fox News Affiliate

6 AM – 7 AM Fox 6 Wake Up News

6-6:30PM : Fox 6 News at 6

10:00-10:30PM : Fox 6 News at 10

3 local radio (2 News/talk, 1 NPR affiliate that does morning news):

News/Talk: 620 WTMJ Newsradio

CBS affiliated, highest rated

1 hour of local morning news: 5-6 a.m.

1 hour of local evening news: 5-6 p.m.

No mid-day local news

Local NPR Affiliate: WGTD FM News

NPR, WPR, AP

1 hour of local morning news: 8-9 a.m.

1/2 hour of local mid-day news: 12 – 12:30 p.m.

No local evening news program

News/Talk: WHBL AM News

ABC affiliate

-1 hour of local morning news: 6-7 a.m.

-1 hour of mid-day local news: 11a.m.- 12 p.m.

4 local newspapers (daily, African-American weekly, alternative weekly)

Major Daily: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Alternative Weekly: Daily Reporter General Interest

Alternative Weekly: Milwaukee Community Journal Alternative, “ Wisconsin ’s Largest African American Newspaper”

Suburban Daily: Waukesha Freeman, circulation 15,000

Local Blogs:

The two local blogs we found both come from the Journal Sentinel.

DayWatch: A blog hosted by JSOnline of today’s developing local news.

JSOnline weblog on state politics

Both blogs were originally selected for study. But there were no postings on either blog on May 11, 2005 so they are not a part of the final sample.

Bend

1 local TV station (NBC)

KTVZ Channel 21, NBC Affiliate

6-7 a.m. : NewsChannel 21@Sunrise (not on the air on 5/11/2005 because of a power outage)

6-6:30 p.m. : NewsChannel 21@ Six

11-11:35 p.m. : NewsChannel 21@11

1 local radio

KBND AM News, ABC affiliate

-1 hour of local morning news programming: 6-7 a.m.

-1 hour of local evening news programming: 5-6 p.m.

1 newspaper

The Bend Bulletin, http://www.bendbulletin.com

There appear to be no local blogs in Bend .

Local Media Coding Procedures and Intercoder Reliability

Stories appearing in newspapers and on television and radio for the three cities were coded for a specific day selected by the State of the Media Project. That included local newspapers, radio and local television in the communities of Bend, Ore., Houston, Tex., and Milwaukee, Wis. The tables appended to this memo report coder-reliability assessments for each medium coded. Finally, an overall summary of reliability is provided.

Personnel Involved in the Network News Coding

Faculty and graduate students in the School of Journalism at Michigan State University conducted this part of the project. The two faculty members who supervised the project have more than 40 years of combined social science experience in conducting such studies, and are two of the most published academic researchers in the field.

Two doctoral students in the Mass Media Ph.D. program at MSU, one a fourth-year student and the other a second-year student, coded most of the stories, assisted by a master’s degree student of the MSU School of Journalism.

The coding protocol was provided by personnel at the Project. The protocol called for the coding of 23 variables for all stories in each designated medium, and an additional 27 variables for selected “big stories” from each medium.

The two School of Journalism faculty members conducted extensive training sessions with the doctoral-student coders during the summer of 2005 using news stories collected for other studies. A decision was subsequently made to add the master’s degree student, and that student was trained during the fall. The reliability of this additional student was assessed against that of the doctoral students using the same sample stories used to assess the reliability achieved by the doctoral students. Comparability is therefore exact.

Procedure

The fourth-year doctoral student coordinated the coding work of all the other students. Coding was done independently, working from the protocol, without consultation among the coders.

Spanish-language media were also included in the study. To code this material, translators were employed to produce text in English. The translated copy was then coded by the regular coders in the study.

Reliability was assessed for each medium, using stories randomly sampled from the total to be coded. Reliability was first assessed on the 23 variables coded for all stories. Once acceptable reliability was achieved, all stories were coded for those variables. Reliability then was assessed for the “big story” variables, and once acceptable reliability was achieved on those variables, coding was completed for relevant stories.

In all, about 5% of all stories were used in the reliability assessments. The tables reporting reliability below are for just those variables on which substantive disagreements could occur. Percentages of agreement calculations were made to assess the coding for each of these variables. Each coder (the two doctoral students and the master’s student) were tested against each other on these variables. For news-organization stories on which all three coders participated, reliability assessments were made for all three coders and were then averaged for a total agreement.

Reliability Standards

Project procedures followed in the past relied on percentage of agreement for establishing intercoder reliability, and this study follows that precedent. The following standards, based on experience with past studies, should guide confidence in how reliably the variables were coded, and therefore the confidence researchers should have that findings represent real characteristics of the news coverage rather than coder bias or error.

In general, variables whose percentages of agreement exceeded 90% are highly reliable, and researchers can have high confidence that characteristics in the data are real rather than the result of coder bias or error. Variables whose reliabilities are below 85% but above 80 are accepted. The following chart summarizes these judgments.

Based on those standards, 7 of 11 variables coded for all stories achieved very high confidence, with the remaining variables achieving acceptable or good confidence. Another 25 variables were coded for big stories only, and 24 of these achieved very high confidence. The remaining variable achieved good confidence.

Individual media exhibited different confidence results, however, and any analysis focusing on just one medium should examine the reliability figures provided for that medium. Even so, just one variable (Government Related stories) fell below acceptable confidence for the radio stories.

Below are the tables reporting reliability for stories examined for each medium and for all stories combined.

Coder Reliability Assessments for All Local Newspapers, Television and Radio News Stories (Figures are percent of total stories in the reliability test for each medium and for all stories combined.)

Coder Reliability Assessments for Only Big Local Newspapers, Television and Radio News Stories

III. Spanish-Language Media

Local Broadcast TV

KXLN-TV Channel 45 — 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. Noticias a las 5 (Univision Affiliate). Local news ran from 5 to –5:30 and Univision Network News from 5:30 to 6

KTMD TV Channel 48 5 p.m.–6 p.m. Noticias a las 5 (Telemundo Affiliate). Local News ran from 5 to 5:30 and Telemundo Network News from 5:30 to 6

Both TV stations are in the Houston metropolitan area.

Local Radio

Spanish-language radio stations broadcast in both the Houston and Milwaukee markets, but offered no scheduled news program to include in the study.

Daily Newspaper:

Rumbo de Houston: Rumbo de Houston is a daily tabloid published Monday through Friday. It is part of a group that publishes throughout Texas, including San Antonio, Houston, Austin and the Rio Grande Valley.

Story inclusion and rules were the same as the English-language process for each media type. Coding procedures differed in that the Spanish-language material was first translated into English and then coded under the same variables and rules as the English-language media.

Intercoder Reliability

Because the same coders coded the translated Spanish-language content and the English-language media, no separate intercoder reliability tests were conduced. The protocol and coders were judged reliable on the basis of the intercoder reliability discussed above.

The State of the News Media report was written by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, with the aid of many collaborators. Funding was provided by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

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