Election Narrative July 7-13: "Got Your Gaffe Here"

Last week, Sen Barack Obama was at least a significant presence in fully 77% of the campaign stories studied, compared with 48% for Sen John McCain. Obama has led in coverage in all five weeks since the race narrowed to two presumptive nominees. A week earlier, that gap narrowed to 11 points and offered the prospect that the coverage might equalize, but last week suggested that might not be the case. If this trend continues, it hints that the media narrative could make this race largely a referendum about Obama and whether the country is willing to make him the next President, with John McCain playing the role of the alternative. The Jesse Jackson brouhaha filled 13% of the campaign narrative last week. The Phil Gramm remarks filled 10%. The other top campaign storylines last week in the media narrative were the economy (which was connected to the Gramm statements). It filled 8% of the newshole studied. Next came coverage of Obama moving to the ideological center on issues (8%). That was followed by competition for the country's Hispanic vote (4%), Iran as an issue (mostly the response to that country's missile tests), and divisions among Democrats (mostly relating to the retirement of Clinton's campaign debt). Overall, the campaign filled 29% of the newshole studied by PEJ last week. For the year to date the campaign has accounted for 37% of the overall newshole.