Newspaper Coverage of the Harvard Medicare Project: Regional Distinctions or Discreet Disregard?

This study examines the country's newspaper coverage of a major policy proposal-the Harvard Medicare Project of 1986-on the 20th anniversary of the national health program. This analysis of policy agenda setting revealed substantive and stylistic distinctions in amount of coverage, headlines, featured topics, use of experts and prestigious sources, critical commentary, and source of story (i.e., wire service or byline journalist) among the diverse 1,600 daily newspapers. Regional variations on these factors were identified. In addition to insights on these variables, one unexpected and inexplicable finding was the lack of coverage of this historic study in the daily print media, including the country's largest newspapers.