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Campaign 2012 in the Media

Use the tabs below to explore the tone and volume of news coverage and Twitter conversations about each candidate or read the story behind the numbers.

Apr 30, 2012 - May 6, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 38%     18%
Paul 21     52
Romney 25     33
Obama 34     22

Apr 23, 2012 - Apr 29, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 39%     18%
Paul 26     39
Romney 27     41
Obama 50     17

Apr 16, 2012 - Apr 22, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 40%     24%
Paul 25     40
Romney 30     34
Obama 44     17

Apr 9, 2012 - Apr 15, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 50%     22%
Paul 36     31
Romney 34     35
Santorum 44     20
Obama 38     23

Apr 2, 2012 - Apr 8, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 47%     16%
Paul 36     28
Romney 33     35
Santorum 42     19
Obama 37     13

Mar 26, 2012 - Apr 1, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 33%     17%
Paul 33     33
Romney 29     41
Santorum 39     20
Obama 32     17

Mar 19, 2012 - Mar 25, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 30%     21%
Paul 28     24
Romney 29     41
Santorum 26     43
Obama 30     15

Mar 12, 2012 - Mar 18, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 29%     27%
Paul 24     31
Romney 17     61
Santorum 33     36
Obama 25     20

Mar 5, 2012 - Mar 11, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 31%     33%
Paul 23     33
Romney 16     58
Santorum 32     32
Obama 28     25

Feb 27, 2012 - Mar 4, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 43%     20%
Paul 23     36
Romney 28     45
Santorum 30     38
Obama 26     20

Feb 20, 2012 - Feb 26, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 42%     20%
Paul 21     37
Romney 33     26
Santorum 29     30
Obama 21     17

Feb 13, 2012 - Feb 19, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 43%     20%
Paul 22     34
Romney 51     23
Santorum 22     47
Obama 32     19

Feb 6, 2012 - Feb 12, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 43%     30%
Paul 26     32
Romney 41     33
Santorum 23     48
Obama 35     24

Jan 30, 2012 - Feb 5, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 36%     33%
Paul 21     28
Romney 37     32
Santorum 28     24
Obama 34     19

Jan 23, 2012 - Jan 29, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 33%     36%
Paul 22     28
Romney 40     28
Santorum 32     27
Obama 43     15

Jan 16, 2012 - Jan 22, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 32%     42%
Huntsman 28     21
Paul 20     32
Perry 33     19
Romney 33     45
Santorum 40     30
Obama 53     16

Jan 9, 2012 - Jan 15, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Gingrich 38%     17%
Huntsman 23     19
Paul 22     42
Perry 37     19
Romney 34     37
Santorum 28     34
Obama 44     15

Jan 2, 2012 - Jan 8, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 31%     17%
Gingrich 43     15
Huntsman 15     18
Paul 24     40
Perry 31     18
Romney 32     33
Santorum 22     37
Obama 47     15

Dec 26, 2011 - Jan 1, 2012

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 31%     16%
Gingrich 34     26
Huntsman 16     18
Paul 16     34
Perry 36     19
Romney 29     25
Santorum 22     37
Obama 36     11

Dec 19, 2011 - Dec 25, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 30%     14%
Gingrich 32     29
Huntsman 18     19
Paul 17     35
Perry 37     18
Romney 31     25
Santorum 20     33
Obama 35     12

Dec 12, 2011 - Dec 18, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 30%     13%
Gingrich 35     25
Huntsman 18     23
Paul 17     38
Perry 40     16
Romney 30     21
Santorum 22     31
Obama 43     11

Dec 5, 2011 - Dec 11, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 34%     13%
Gingrich 29     25
Huntsman 18     21
Paul 14     33
Perry 40     18
Romney 30     21
Santorum 20     27
Obama 42     10

Nov 28, 2011 - Dec 4, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 36%     14%
Gingrich 28     28
Huntsman 20     21
Paul 16     38
Perry 44     19
Romney 31     20
Santorum 25     24
Obama 31     10

Nov 21, 2011 - Nov 27, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 39%     14%
Cain 32     27
Gingrich 32     22
Huntsman 16     25
Paul 14     32
Perry 43     21
Romney 31     22
Santorum 22     24
Obama 39     9

Nov 14, 2011 - Nov 20, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 30%     15%
Cain 38     25
Gingrich 31     23
Huntsman 19     25
Paul 13     32
Perry 43     19
Romney 30     23
Santorum 29     22
Obama 41     10

Nov 7, 2011 - Nov 13, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 27%     14%
Cain 44     28
Gingrich 25     26
Huntsman 16     21
Paul 12     27
Perry 42     20
Romney 32     23
Santorum 16     19
Obama 33     9

Oct 31, 2011 - Nov 6, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 29%     14%
Cain 39     26
Gingrich 25     19
Huntsman 17     25
Paul 14     32
Perry 41     20
Romney 28     26
Santorum 19     24
Obama 37     9

Oct 24, 2011 - Oct 30, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 34%     15%
Cain 41     32
Gingrich 24     18
Huntsman 15     21
Paul 17     33
Perry 40     21
Romney 30     25
Santorum 24     20
Obama 44     9

Oct 17, 2011 - Oct 23, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 30%     16%
Cain 38     32
Gingrich 23     22
Huntsman 16     24
Paul 13     25
Perry 39     21
Romney 30     22
Santorum 19     25
Obama 42     10

Oct 10, 2011 - Oct 16, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 29%     15%
Cain 20     39
Gingrich 18     18
Huntsman 16     22
Paul 12     23
Perry 37     23
Romney 30     22
Santorum 23     24
Obama 45     9

Oct 3, 2011 - Oct 9, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 26%     19%
Cain 18     36
Gingrich 23     16
Huntsman 16     21
Paul 16     26
Perry 34     26
Romney 29     25
Santorum 24     26
Obama 41     9

Sep 26, 2011 - Oct 2, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 25%     20%
Cain 20     35
Gingrich 30     23
Huntsman 16     20
Paul 17     23
Perry 22     32
Romney 27     27
Santorum 41     20
Obama 36     10

Sep 19, 2011 - Sep 25, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 30%     21%
Cain 18     23
Gingrich 16     20
Huntsman 13     16
Paul 16     21
Perry 23     32
Romney 25     24
Santorum 31     19
Obama 35     10

Sep 12, 2011 - Sep 18, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 32%     20%
Cain 18     25
Gingrich 18     16
Huntsman 14     23
Paul 17     25
Perry 25     31
Romney 26     26
Santorum 22     17
Obama 37     9

Sep 5, 2011 - Sep 11, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 22%     27%
Cain 19     24
Gingrich 18     12
Huntsman 15     19
Paul 17     18
Perry 15     31
Romney 25     23
Santorum 14     17
Obama 33     9

Aug 29, 2011 - Sep 4, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 28%     23%
Cain 23     34
Gingrich 26     11
Huntsman 15     21
Paul 17     21
Perry 17     32
Romney 24     25
Santorum 33     12
Obama 35     9

Aug 22, 2011 - Aug 28, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 22%     35%
Cain 21     30
Gingrich 28     14
Huntsman 24     21
Paul 17     18
Perry 17     32
Romney 28     25
Santorum 43     14
Obama 33     9

Aug 15, 2011 - Aug 21, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 14%     61%
Cain 25     35
Gingrich 35     13
Huntsman 18     23
Paul 19     20
Perry 16     33
Romney 30     31
Santorum 33     19
Obama 33     9

Aug 8, 2011 - Aug 14, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 22%     29%
Cain 23     22
Gingrich 22     12
Huntsman 14     18
Paul 17     15
Perry 14     34
Romney 25     30
Santorum 24     20
Obama 34     8

Aug 1, 2011 - Aug 7, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 21%     25%
Cain 23     30
Gingrich 37     14
Huntsman 15     20
Paul 20     22
Perry 19     36
Romney 26     25
Santorum 29     18
Obama 33     8

Jul 25, 2011 - Jul 31, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 25%     23%
Cain 28     26
Gingrich 40     13
Huntsman 18     23
Paul 19     22
Perry 19     39
Romney 28     23
Santorum 30     20
Obama 35     8

Jul 18, 2011 - Jul 24, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 26%     24%
Cain 31     32
Gingrich 32     13
Huntsman 25     18
Paul 16     18
Perry 18     32
Romney 26     26
Santorum 22     17
Obama 33     9

Jul 11, 2011 - Jul 17, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 26%     22%
Cain 33     25
Gingrich 33     15
Huntsman 18     20
Paul 17     23
Perry 20     30
Romney 26     24
Santorum 25     19
Obama 32     9

Jul 4, 2011 - Jul 10, 2011

Percentage of coverage
  Negative     Positive
Bachmann 24%     26%
Cain 27     24
Gingrich 39     11
Huntsman 17     19
Paul 19     21
Perry 22     28
Romney 26     25
Santorum 30     20
Obama 31     9

Trend Over Time

Select candidates on the left to show or hide their data points.

Click and drag over an area of the line graph to zoom in.

Coverage deemed 'neutral' is not shown. Positive, Negative, and neutral coverage total 100%.

Note: The data for 2012 employs updated methodology which better reflects the dynamic campaign news cycle.

Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, using Crimson Hexagon Technology.