A new study finds that no single unifying 2010 election-day message reverberated through the news ecosystem—even with results as decisive as those on Nov. 2.
Rather, the media conversation was more diffuse than it might have been in a simpler, more homogenized, media era and it varied substantially depending on what media one looked at.
These are among the findings of a new report by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism of election coverage on four distinct media platforms, produced in conjunction with social media analysis technology from Crimson Hexagon.
A basic narrative of historic Republican gains and the voters’ rebuke to Democrats certainly gained traction in the press. To some extent, however, that GOP romp theme was balanced by projections about future politics and policy debates, a focus on the electoral process itself, and grassroots calls to action.
Barbara K Iverson 