The Project for Excellence in Journalism has an index of what makes the news each week of the campaign season. Here is what happened from June 16 to 22:
Obama appeared as a "significant or dominant" factor in 76 percent of stories, compared to 53 percent for McCain, according to PEJ. Some stories last week about Obama included his decision to abandon public financing, Al Gore's endorsement and Obama's apology to two Muslim women that were banned from seating behind his podium at a rally.
It's tough for McCain to compete with those bad news stories for Barack.
Michelle Obama and President Bush also played a key role in campaign coverage last week. In a measure of the campaign newshole, the potential First Lady took up 9 percent of campaign stories. The press has focused on whether Michelle Obama is trying to remake her image following criticism for her remarks that she was proud of her country "for the first time" in her adult life.
Meanwhile, the press does its best to hurt McCain.
In the coverage of McCain, Bush helped drive the campaign narrative taking up 7 percent of the campaign newshole. Here, the press has focused on the Bush-McCain relationship. (Critics have said McCain is pursuing a third term of Bush's presidency). In an advertisement last week, McCain says that he stood up to Bush about the environment, however they took the same position on offshore drilling.
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