Midterm Elections Dominate News Cycle Oct. 18-24, But Juan Williams Controversy Makes Late Run

By Alex Weprin 

The upcoming midterm elections completely dominated the news cycle October 18-24, but NPR’s firing of Juan Williams last week generated significant coverage despite happening at the end of the week, according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism’s News Coverage Index.

The midterms took up a staggering 28% of the newshole for the week, up from 28% the week prior. That is the most coverage the elections have drawn this year, with the previous record holder being 30% in September following Christine O’Donnell‘s primary win.

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The number two story was still the economy, taking up 12% of the newshole, but the number three story was Juan Williams, which took up a surprising 5% of the total newshole. Surprising, because it happened on Thursday, meaning that if it had happened earlier in the week, it would have made a run for the second-most covered story in the media.

Williams was also the second-largest “newsmaker” for the week, behind President Barack Obama, who has led that category essentially all year.

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