News hole devoted to economy remains stable

The news media devoted 12 percent of its coverage last week to the economy, stable with the previous week, according to the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism.

That made it the No. 2 story in the media, behind the midterm elections.

Mark Jurkowitz writes, “At 12% of the newshole, coverage of the economy was the same as the previous week and very much in keeping with recent levels of attention. Last week, that subject generated the most attention in the online sector (18%).

“Several top themes drove the coverage including the news that the Bank of America was restarting foreclosure procedures in 23 states. And another element of last week’s economic coverage, about one-quarter, focused on an overseas event — the widespread strikes and protests in France over a government proposal to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62.”

Read more here.