News Coverage of the Papal Visit: Narrative Made Room for the Personal, Not Just the Political

In covering Pope Francis' September 2015 visit to the U.S., the news media gave strong voice to the hundreds of thousands attending the events, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of news coverage of the first four days of the visit. But if the public helped tell the story of the visit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2015
Main Authors: Matsa, Katerina Eva, Holcomb, Jesse, Mitchell, Amy
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Media coverage
Pew Research Center
Theology/Religion
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:In covering Pope Francis' September 2015 visit to the U.S., the news media gave strong voice to the hundreds of thousands attending the events, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of news coverage of the first four days of the visit. But if the public helped tell the story of the visit through their smartphones and social media, that conversation occurred largely outside national media accounts. Instead, journalists relied mainly on personal interviews and encounters with the public to help shape their coverage. Across 12 heavily visited U.S. news websites, the top sources cited in stories about the historic trip were Pope Francis himself - or an official Vatican spokesperson - followed by the general public. More than half (56%) of stories produced by these news websites quoted Pope Francis or an official spokesperson; 31% quoted a member of the public.