RSS Feed MenuPew Research Center provides a weekly survey to determine which news stories might attract the public’s interest and the coverage of each story. They telephone about 1000 adults living in the continental United States, 18 years or older. The news stories from June 3 – 6 2010 were as follows:
The Israel-flotilla incident had a greater coverage but somewhat less public attentiveness. 22% say they followed this story “very closely”; yet only 4% say this was the news they followed “most closely”. Note also that the same percentage followed “most closely” the Stanley Cup finals as did the Israel-Gaza flotilla incident.
jakester // Jun 9, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Well for most people the Mideast really doesn’t mean a heck of a lot to them
ottovbvs // Jun 10, 2010 at 8:45 am
…….This is a surprise?…….given the insularity and narcissism of Americans generally it would have been a surprise if they had been heavily focussed on it………the point is that Europe and the middle east were VERY focussed on it which largely accounts for the growing divide on how in how Israel is perceived.
msmilack // Jun 10, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Interesting way to look at the story, Elise. Based on the many conversations I have read not just on FF but on other blogs and magazines on- line and the many conversations I’ve had on the subject in person, I would never have guessed the numbers were so small; that’s a big surprise to me and makes me feel I am living in a different world from everyone else.
ottovbvs // Jun 10, 2010 at 6:59 pm
….btw off topic but they are going apeshit in Britain over the treatment of BP in the US……what Americans from the president on down don’t realize is how many Brits have stock in BP and depend on it’s divs for sustenance in retirement……the world is a complicated place….far more complicated than the average GOP tea partier realizes
jreb // Jun 10, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Actually there probably wasn’t much to report. The Israeli Navy warned the “peace” activists repeatedly that they were in a war zone and that they should pull into an Israeli port. When they decided to defy the blockade, the Israelis had no choice but to board which they did. The real story was that the Hamas terrorists refused to accept the “humanitarian” aid after the Israelis allowed the aid to proceed via land transport to Gaza. Maybe Hamas should hire a new PR coordinator, one that knows that Memorial Day is an American holiday and that the liberal sympathizers are all off the Cape on their sailboats during the holidays.