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Which political events does media focus on most?

A common type of media criticism is that mainstream media either over- or under-focuses on certain events. This was a common complaint about the coverage of Biden's age, for example. There's a new dimension to this criticism in the Trump administration, as newspapers jump from scandal to scandal and, in some critics' eyes, fail to provide sustained coverage of particular stories.

I have a corpus of every print article in the New York Times and the Washington Post from January 1, 2024 through May 7, 2025. To check my own priors on this topic, I used machine-learning techniques to surface big political stories in my corpus. If you want to read more about how I did it, you can scroll down to the bottom of this page. From hundreds of stories that were reported on in this time span, I chose eight that were especially significant and charted the volume of stories over time from each newspaper. You can see those charts below.

I tried to pick discrete events rather than ongoing ones. There were a huge number of articles about the war in Ukraine, for example, but I wanted discrete controversies that were discussed over a window of time. I also tried to pick stories that were a little closer to 'scandal' than 'ongoing policy story.' But clearly I made judgement calls. I don't have any analysis of this, I mostly wanted to play with some data science stuff and see for myself what these distributions looked like. Maybe you, like me, could use a gut check on this topic. Finally, if you'd like to see specific analyses of this corpus, hit me up on Bluesky.

All graphs use the same scales to make comparisons easy. Each bar represents one week of reporting.

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This cluster focuses on Joe Biden's debate performance against Donald Trump, calls for him to step aside or resign, and scrutiny of his campaign viability.

Black Democrats are emblematic of a House torn over Biden.

President's Strategy For Re-election Falters As Focus Stays on Him.

The President Set an Extraordinary Example.

Should Democrats Press Biden Not to Run?

How Did Biden Do at His News Conference?

Donors Devise Push for Biden To Leave Race.

Biden has to show stamina and sharpness. Democrats are growing impatient.

Should Biden Heed Calls to Drop Out?

Democrats criticize Biden privately, back him publicly. Sound familiar?

The Point: Black Voters, and Hurricane Beryl.

Most Democrats want Biden to drop out, but overall race is static, poll finds.

Biden campaign gave questions to radio hosts before interviews.

No Poll Can Tell Biden What He Needs to Hear.

Biden Points Skeptics to His Past, but Voters Are More Worried About His Future.

Pelosi and Others Appeal To Biden's Better Angels.

Nancy Pelosi opens the door, subtly, to replacing Biden.

Trump advisers hope Biden stays in race, as they eye alternate scenarios.

Carville predicted Biden would drop out. A campaign message invoked him anyway.

New York Times editorial board calls on Biden to drop out of race.

What possible Biden replacements are saying about his debate performance.

This cluster focuses on President Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden, alongside broader clemency actions for death row inmates and nonviolent offenders.

An Agenda for Biden's Final Days in Office.

Man Who Had Family Tie To Biden Diary Is Pardoned.

The political case for limiting pardon power.

Hunter Biden Pardon: Mercy or Mistake?

Have a few hours of clemency for federal crimes? Some suggestions.

The Dangerous Precedent of Biden's Pardon.

How presidents can use pardon powers.

'Time to End All of This': How Biden Pivoted on Pardoning Hunter.

Biden commutes sentences of nearly 2,500 nonviolent drug offenders.

At news conference on AI, Trump defends and dodges on pardons actions.

Prosecutor Tries To Undermine Biden Pardons.

Is Hunter Biden's pardon a good or bad thing for the rule of law?

President's Broad Pardon for Hunter Biden Troubles Experts and Raises Debates.

President Biden faces criticism over controversial pardon of his son Hunter.

Democrats strongly opposed a Hunter Biden pardon. Now, they back it.

Who Deserves a 'Get Out of Jail Free' Card?

Hunter Biden's pardon was inevitable.

With Pardon, Biden Echoes Rival's Gripes.

Pardon Seekers Emphasize Their Loyalty to Trump.

Father's Legacy Is Complicated By Son's Pardon.

This cluster highlights tensions surrounding Elon Musk and his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Union's Campaign Will Resist Moves Against Workers.

DOGE hunts for 'wins' amid tensions with Trump administration, backlash.

Elon Musk ridiculed a blind person on X. Then a mob went to work.

Lawmakers flooded with calls about Elon Musk: 'It is a deluge on DOGE'.

DOGE wants businesses to run government services 'as much as possible'.

New Trump memo seen as threat to lawyers, attempt to scare off suits.

Some GOP lawmakers start to call out DOGE.

Companies warn investors that DOGE's federal cuts might hurt business.

New Social Security chief was being investigated when Musk team tapped him.

A guide to the Trump administration lexicon.

Maryland judge orders DOGE to stop efforts to dismantle USAID.

Searching for Motive To Musk Team's Focus On 'Checkbook' of U.S.

Town hall descends into chaos as GOP lawmaker is heckled about Musk, Trump.

Justice Department seeks to stop order keeping DOGE out of Treasury systems.

Social Security nominee falsely claims no DOGE contacts, Democratic senator says.

Private Appeals To Musk Shield G.O.P. Districts.

Musk Doesn't Understand Why Government Matters.

DOGE fires nearly all staff at U.S. Institute of Peace headquarters.

Musk's blitzkrieg is unnerving many of Trump's senior advisers.

Do Dems want to get out of DOGE?

This cluster discusses the controversial nominations by former President Trump of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the Health and Human Services Cabinet post, Jay Bhattacharya for the NIH, and Marty Makary for the FDA.

RFK Jr. vote poses key test for Bill Cassidy, endangered Louisiana senator.

Guarded Nominee for N.I.H. Faces Sharp Questions on Vaccines and Research Cuts.

RFK says we'll know what causes autism by September. Is that realistic?

On Gabbard and Kennedy, the right gives up.

Jay Bhattacharya confirmed by Senate to lead NIH.

Trump picks acting CDC chief Susan Monarez for permanent post.

5 takeaways from the Gabbard, Patel and RFK Jr. hearings.

Why Ed Martin is a huge test for the GOP.

Kennedy Faces Senate Grilling And Misgivings.

The Hard Work of Recovery.

GOP vaccine defenders are bowing to RFK Jr. at a perilous time.

Trump's FDA nominee, Marty Makary, faces his first test.

RFK Jr. confirmed, elevating anti-vaccine activist to nation's top health post.

RFK Jr. sought to trademark MAHA for vaccine marketing, transferred to ally.

Why Entrust Our Health To Kennedy?

After CDC pick is abruptly yanked, worry over U.S. measles messaging remains.

How public health has been upended in Trump's first 100 days.

Trump taps MAHA influencer for surgeon general, replacing first pick.

The questions awaiting RFK at his confirmation hearings.

White House abruptly pulls Dave Weldon's CDC nomination before hearing.

This cluster focuses on the Justice Department's decision to drop charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams amid significant resignations and protest from federal prosecutors.

Will an Ambitious Prosecutor Do Trump's Bidding and Drop Adams Case?

Federal judge dismisses corruption case against New York Mayor Adams.

4 Takeaways From Adams Hearing on Dismissal.

Trump Curtails Anti-Corruption Inquiries, Giving Bribery a Green Light.

New York Mayor Vows To Permit ICE Agents Access to Rikers Island.

Amid Furor Over Adams Case, a Glimpse of a Charge Never Brought.

In New York, a mayor's race takes shape that's all about Donald Trump.

Career Prosecutors Weighed Stark Options.

Justice officials move to drop Adams case after 7 lawyers refuse, resign in protest.

Hochul Weighs Mayor's Future As He Digs In.

Adams's Approval Rating Hits Record Low as Cuomo Pulls Ahead in New Poll.

Where the Adams Corruption Case Stands.

New York City Council Speaker Enters Mayor's Race Against Adams.

City's Public Advocate Is Ready to Be Mayor If Adams Leaves Post.

Eric Adams Has to Go. Trump's Coercion Tactics Must Be Challenged.

Three more federal prosecutors resign in protest over N.Y. Mayor Adams case.

Judges Generally Let Prosecutors Drop Charges.

In Speech, a Potential Campaign Preview.

Adams Aims to Sue Over Migrant Shelter Funds.

Evidence Suggests the Mayor of New York Won't Seek a Second Term.

This cluster focuses on the legal and political battles surrounding the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants, including Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

The deportation standoff sending the U.S. toward a constitutional crisis.

Judge Declines to Lift Order for Return of Deported Migrant.

How U.S. Cut Deal to Oust Venezuelans.

Trump escalates fight with federal judge over deportation authority.

Justice Dept. says it's not required to bring back wrongly deported man.

Trump lawyers ask Supreme Court to allow Alien Enemies Act deportations.

Conservative Judge Causes Uproar With Scathing Rebuke.

Judge blocks Trump after he invokes wartime Alien Enemies Act to speed up deportations.

Judge's Temporary Order Slows Trump's Deportation Plans.

El Salvador refuses to allow senator to meet with mistakenly deported man.

Smugglers Convicted in Deaths of 53 Migrants in Texas.

Who is Paula Xinis, the judge ordering Trump to return a mistakenly deported immigrant?

A Mother and Father Were Deported. What Happened to Their Child?

White House Maintains Defiant Stance Against Return of Deported Man.

Lawyers scramble to prevent Trump from deporting migrants to Libya.

Sen. Van Hollen discusses El Salvador visit with wrongly deported man.

Lawyers Seek Return of Migrants Deported Under Wartime Act.

The politics of the Kilmar Abrego García fight.

Khalil ruling tests Trump deportation tactic of sending detainees to Louisiana.

Lawyers Seek Return Of Deported Migrants.

This cluster describes a scandal involving the Trump administration's unauthorized disclosure of sensitive military plans related to Yemen through the Signal chat app.

Airstrike Plan Was Disclosed In Group Text.

Gabbard, Ratcliffe face fresh questions from House on Yemen war chats.

Fighter Pilots Angry Over Breach, and Hegseth's Refusal to Admit Error.

FBI, national security agencies using polygraphs for 'leak' hunts.

Classified material laws and why experts say Signal chat raises concerns.

Signal chat flouted rules on classified intel, say former defense officials.

Attorney General Pam Bondi avoids questions about investigating Signal chat.

Defense Head Said To Send War Plan To Second Group.

Hegseth's Use of Personal Phone Exposes the U.S.

Senate Democrats Press President for Answers on 'Egregious' Security Breach.

President Tries To Divert Blame In War Plan Leak.

How the Signal transcript undermines key Trump administration claims.

White House acknowledges 'inadvertent' leak involving top Trump officials.

Outcry over Signal chat scandal spills into courts and Congress.

For Leakers, Justice Dept. May Pursue Press Records.

Democrats slam intel chiefs over Trump team's Signal leak.

Bondi Signals Justice Dept. Won't Pursue Chat Inquiry.

Republicans Temper Criticism, Citing Group Chat Breach as a Mistake.

What experts say about protocols and the Yemen war Signal group chat.

Who was in the Signal group chat that disclosed sensitive military plans?

This cluster focuses on the Trump administration's attempts to coerce Columbia University and Harvard University, including threats to revoke the universities' tax-exempt statuses.

Where Federal Dollars Flow to Universities Around the Country.

Trump Pulled $400 Million From Columbia. Other Schools Could Be Next.

Arrests of Campus Protesters Lead to Lawsuit by Professors.

Attorneys General Sue Over Access to $1 Billion in Federal School Aid.

Harvard Must Not Yield to Intimidation.

Trump Fights Antisemitism Incorrently, Group Says.

The people who have weighed in on the Trump-Harvard funding fight.

White House Plans to Halt $510 Million For Brown.

Reasons for Singling Out Universities for Defunding Run Deep.

GOP to grill universities 'beyond the Ivy League' about antisemitism.

Facing Record Enrollment, Colleges Grapple With Financial Upheaval.

Harvard Faces Costly Resistance to Trump Financial Attack.

Where Should Harvard's $53.2 Billion Endowment Go?

Columbia Takes Tougher Approach to White House Threats.

In Harvard's Corner Sits a Deep Bench of Conservative Lawyers.

Harvard rejects Trump administration's demands with federal funding at risk.

Trump Official Emailed Harvard List of Demands, Touching Off Battle, by Mistake.

Columbia and the Silence of Megadonors.

New Leader at Columbia Has Background in News.

Columbia expels students over building takeover in pro-Palestinian protest.

Methods

This is just a sketch of what I did. The full corpus is ~70,000 articles. To be included in the corpus I actually analyzed, an article had to mention the name "Biden" twice and be between the dates 01/01/2024 and 01/19/2025 OR mention the name "Trump" twice and be between 01/20/2025 and the end of my data. Incidentally, newspapers write about Trump way more than they write about Biden. In fact, they write about Trump more during Biden's own term than they write about Biden. The volume of articles mentioning Trump during his term is about 3x the volume mentioning Biden during his term.

Next, I created semantic embeddings of the full article text of each article and use the embeddings and the publication date as features to do unsupervised clustering of the articles. I then took the 30 largest clusters and fed the headlines to ChatGPT to create summaries (the short descriptions that accompany each graph are from these summaries, although I shortened them considerably for this page).

I then picked eight clusters that I thought represented discrete political controversies. I assigned start dates and sometimes end dates to these controversies. For example, I had Biden's age cluster start the day of the debate with Trump, and end the day he stepped down. I wanted time-bound clusters that followed the life of a controversy.

Next I tweaked the AI descriptions a little bit. This was to create clearer clusters. For example, the unsupervised clustering split DOGE articles between four or five clusters. I wanted these together, so I made the description a little more general. Similarly, the Biden age cluster pulled in a bunch of general campaign stuff I didn't want. Then I created semantic embeddings of my AI descriptions, limited the set of articles according to my start and end dates, and created query-driven clusters based on the article embedding's distance from the description. This probably isn't perfect, but visual inspection indicates it is pretty good.