List of Top 10 Stories of 1998

Associated Press

12-29-98

The top news stories of 1998 chosen by 299 Associated Press newspaper editors and broadcast executives in the United States. A first-place vote gave the story 10 points, a second-place vote gave it nine points, and so on. Stories are followed by the number of points they received.

1. Clinton-Lewinsky. 2,744. 2. McGwire-Sosa home run race. 1,327. 3. World economic turmoil. 1,222. 4. Hurricanes Georges, Mitch. 1,143. 5. Iraq showdown. 1,108. 6. GOP slide in elections. 1,047. 7. U.S. embassies bombed. 1,002. 8. School shootings. 880. 9. Glenn return to space. 799. 10. Tobacco settlement. 729.

The second 10: Northern Ireland peace accord; Viagra; Mideast peace deal; Swissair crash; U.S. budget surplus; Microsoft antitrust trial; India, Pakistan nuclear tests; Sinatra dies; Kosovo; Texas heat, drought, floods.

____________ The top 10 international news stories of 1998, as chosen by 84 news media subscribers of The Associated Press in 39 countries outside the United States, followed by the points they received:

1. Impeachment probe of President Clinton. 638. 2. Global economic turmoil. 561. 3. India, Pakistan nuclear tests. 288. 4. Hurricanes Georges, Mitch. 282. 5. Northern Ireland peace accord. 276. 6. Russia's economic, political crises. 271. 7. Pinochet's arrest. 244. 8. Kosovo. 243. 9. Indonesia unrest, Suharto's resignation. 229. 10. Iraq showdown. 195.

______________ The top 10 stories of 1998 chosen by 1,302 readers casting ballots at The AP Web site, www.wire.ap.org, followed by points received:

1. Clinton-Lewinsky. 8,302. 2. McGwire-Sosa home run race. 5,005. 3. Iraq showdown. 4,170. 4. U.S. embassies bombed. 3,985. 5. Hurricanes Georges, Mitch. 3,779. 6. Global economic turmoil. 3,639. 7. School shootings. 3,282. 8. Glenn return to space. 2,697. 9. GOP slide in elections. 2,515. 10. India, Pakistan nuclear tests. 2,263.

_______________ The top 10 stories of 1998 chosen by 765 visitors to the Newseum in Arlington, Va., followed by points received:

1. Clinton-Lewinsky. 4,856. 2. Glenn return to space. 2,397. 3. Iraq showdown. 2,362. 4. McGwire-Sosa home run race. 2,229. 5. Global economic turmoil. 1,750. 6. Hurricanes Georges, Mitch. 1,686. 7. GOP slide in U.S. elections. 1,371. 8. Tobacco settlement. 1,308. 9. Viagra. 1,243. 10. School shootings. 1,175.

One realises, of course, that if (when) y2k hits hard in one year's time, there may (will) not be another top ten list like the above.

Doesn't say much for journalists does it?(or vistors to the VA museum...)

The good news, those same "journalists" will not be able to report on their own demise - good riddance to corporate and gubbmint shills.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 02, 1999

Answers

Not even in the top 20 of the Associated Press. Makes me wonder if they kept going where Y2K would have showed up... 40? 60? not at all? Amazing to all of us who eat, sleep, and breathe it every day.

There's gonna be one hell of an awakening now that it is 1999.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), January 02, 1999.

And the budget surplus story is a total lie!

-- Natahn (nospam@all.com), January 02, 1999.

I'm sure Y2K will make it next year ;-D

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), January 02, 1999.

...and it's already one of the Top Ten of '99. I mean even David Letterman mentioned it last night. And the local and network news. BTW, anybody see the article today that Clinton is asking for more money for the Military? To be the biggest buildup since Reagan? Hmmm...

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), January 02, 1999.

It may hit the top, of the top ten list in 1999. The journalists will just have to hold the "elections" before midnight 2000. The last laugh, so to speak.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 02, 1999.

The mainstream media is bought and paid for by the corporations that dictate what they report. Since all TV is now Tabloid TV, all we get is garbage most of the time; trivializing y2k is one example, when it was mentioned at all last year.

I, like pshannon, was amazed at the proposed buildup of military. Why? or why now?

-- gilda jessie (jess@listbot.com), January 02, 1999.

ref military spending:

I heard on Chuck Harder's radio show (12/31) that the cruise missle arsenal is down to only 400 and change after the latest Iraq attaq.

MoVe Immediate

-- MVI (vtoc@aol.com), January 02, 1999.