After Edwards Second Place in Iowa (before NH): Media coverage - Clinton 37%, Obama 32%, Edwards 7%

Almost half of all media coverage last week, 49 percent, was devoted to the New Hampshire primary and the presidential campaign.

That may not seem surprising until you see that the second-most covered story, President Bush’s trip to the Middle East, received just 4 percent of the coverage.

The new findings come from the Project for Excellence in Journalism, which studied the coverage between Jan. 6 and Jan. 11. They underscore the degree to which the election is the runaway hit of the season (sorry, striking writers).

Senator Hillary Clinton’s unexpected win in New Hampshire won her the most media exposure, with 37 percent of all print and television stories predominantly about her.

Senator Barack Obama, whom polls had predicted would win, received 32 percent of coverage. Former Senator John Edwards, who trailed in third place and whose campaign has long complained of being shut out of coverage dominated by two celebrity candidates, received just 7 percent of media coverage.