The Obama Obsession

Posted by Tom McFeely

Friday, January 23, 2009 1:08 PM

Obama cheerleaders at the Australian Open tennis tournament. (CNS/Reuters)

If it’s true that every presidential honeymoon period soon comes to an end, President Barack Obama is likely to find transitioning to less worshipful media coverage especially jarring.

Reuters reported Jan. 21 that Obama’s inauguration generated 35,000 stories in the world’s major media outlets.

That’s about 35 times as many as were generated by George W. Bush’s inauguration in 2005.

Texas-based Global Language Monitor conducted the study about the Inauguration Day coverage. The organization also reported that the Internet has generated 6 million new Obama-related mentions since the start of 2009.

“The Obama numbers are unprecedented and speak volumes to the global fascination with the new American president, his wife and young family,” Paul Payack, president of Global Language Monitor, told Reuters. “Obama is the biggest story of the century so far.”

— Tom McFeely

Filed under barack, media