The News in New Media

Author: kayleij

Mauna Loa Volcano Erupts In Hawai’i

November 30, 2022

Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano and one of the most active, is in the midst of its latest eruption, the first since 1984. The volcano is located in Hawai’i, on the “Big Island” of Hawai’i – in fact, it makes up the majority of the “Big Island’s” landmass, covering about half of the island.

Though geologists have learned that most output from Mauna Loa is non-explosive and tends toward more fluid lava flows, the current risk level is considered “Very High,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which has manned observation points and laboratories around Mauna Loa. The Guardian reports that more than 200,000 residents nearby have been warned to prepare for evacuation, should the flows begin to move in their direction.

USGS Map of The Big Island, Hawai’i. Mauna Loa is marked in the near-center of the island in red, while the smaller markers represent USGS monitoring areas.

Yet lava flows and potential property damage are not the only threat to Hawai’ian residents. The National Weather Service’s Honolulu page warns about “vog,” volcanic air pollution that contains dangerous components, and how to protect against this threat.

The eruption began on November 27 and continues to be active. The USGS relates that Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times since its first documented (by Westerners) eruption in 1843, and it is in the “shield-building” stage, meaning that it is rapidly growing and adding to its overall size.

https://twitter.com/USGSVolcanoes/status/1597976019851427843?s=20&t=1uzsjFyAlPjuwCdstmgO7w

From Nov. 27 through today, Mauna Loa has been mentioned 127.4K times across platforms, with a surge on Nov. 28, when the news of the eruption broke in the continental U.S. The eruption began around 11:30 p.m. HST on Nov. 27, and prior to that time most of the content surrounding the volcano discussed weather and natural conditions – from the volcano beginning to rumble to even a winter weather alert atop the peak.

One of the top trends of dialogue is “rift zone,” noting the location of some of the volcanic fissures, with others wondering if this eruption is indicative of more increased activity around the Pacific’s famed “Ring of Fire.” However, the USGS reassures us that activity is normal, at least along the continental U.S.’s west coast:

https://twitter.com/USGSVolcanoes/status/1598007162831179776?s=20&t=1uzsjFyAlPjuwCdstmgO7w

While at this point it looks like the eruption will not account for any damage or loss of life due to the lava flows, it remains to be seen how the ash and “vog” will affect residents and other Pacific islanders. A carbon monitoring bot on Twitter indicates that carbon levels around Mauna Loa are consistently higher this year than past years, even without the eruption factoring in.

And for those of us who aren’t under immediate threat from the eruption, the videos and photos are truly awe-inspiring and a reminder of the sheer power of our planet’s geological forces. Reuters has shared a video of the eruption from a helicopter service on the island, and many other social media users have shared the video straight from the company itself:

Author: Kayleigh Jackson

Artemis I Mission to Moon Launches

November 17, 2022

As Tuesday ticked into Wednesday, the rocket Artemis I launched out of Cape Canaveral, FL, for an unmanned mission to the moon. The mission launch had already been postponed due to fuel leaks during preliminary tests as well as Hurricane Ian, and again due to the looming Hurricane Nicole.

However, the long road to launch finally paid off as the craft lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in the wee hours of Wednesday. According to CNN, the vehicle consists of a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket topped by an Orion spacecraft capsule, which would break away from the rocket once they reached space. CNN also reports that not only did the launch go well, but the breakoff also succeeded and the Orion capsule is well on its way to the moon.

Take a look at the incredible moment the rocket took off in these Tweets:

Yet the launch was almost a no-go again, as the fuel tanks were filled despite leaks. A “red crew” was called in to tighten up the machinery and stop the leaks – even as the tanks were already full and the rocket felt “alive,” according to one member of the red crew. The crew had been specifically trained for this situation, as scary as it was, and they solved the problem to keep the launch on its latest schedule.

Naturally, after so long and so many aborted attempts, the anticipation for this launch online was sky-high – no pun intended.  NASA, the Artemis mission’s and Orion craft’s official Twitters, and the NASA Exploration Ground Systems Twitter (seen above) were some of the top outlets reporting on all stages of the launch, along with members of NASA’s leadership and administration, such as Jim Free. Media were also invited to experience the launch, and reporters on the space beat kept those of us awake at 1:45 a.m. up to speed on the mission.

These sources of information were among the 693.3K mentions of either the Artemis mission or NASA over the last week, with a major spike in traffic and discussion on Nov. 16, the day of the launch. Sentiment toward the mission was overwhelmingly positive, with 77.5% of all that dialogue being positive. Artemis I is the first step in the United States’ plan to have humans land on the moon again within the next 15 or so years. This spacecraft is manned only by mannequins, but the next mission is expected to have live astronauts on board as NASA works closer to that goal of returning humankind to the moon.

Photos from the Orion craft show the Earth’s surface, as well as one of those mannequins, the aptly-named Moonikan Campos:

Footage from outer space is always awe-inspiring, whether it’s from astronauts at the International Space Station or unmanned probes and rovers. This time-lapse of the voyage is no exception.

https://twitter.com/NASA_Johnson/status/1593044445448278016?s=20&t=wz00_VIDr1sqKGRkD3EHIg

Orion is expected to travel a whopping 1.3 million miles, returning to Earth on Dec. 11. Based on how the craft fares, the current first crewed mission in the Artemis program is scheduled for 2024 – very soon, in the grand scheme of space travel. NASA also recently announced that Elon Musk’s SpaceX would work closely with the Artemis IV mission scheduled for landfall (moonfall?) in 2027.

Stay tuned to NASA’s social platforms for more updates on this exciting mission.

Author: Kayleigh Jackson

Recapping the 2022 Midterm Elections in South Carolina

November 9, 2022

Yesterday, Nov. 8, was election day across the United States, and as the polls closed and results started to roll in voters across the country reacted to the results. The team here at the Social Media Listening Center followed along in real-time with the digital and news media traffic surrounding candidates in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia:

https://twitter.com/ClemsonSMLC/status/1590141515388817408?s=20&t=AFWMmLetQUWbIeHAApWPSQ

Now let’s take a quick glance at the results and numbers from South Carolina’s elections now that a majority of them have been called and the results are more official. All voting numbers and election results have been sourced from Ballotpedia.

Governor: Henry McMaster (R – Incumbent) def. Joe Cunningham (D) and Bruce Reeves (Libertarian)

McMaster and his running-mate Pamela Evette held onto their positions in the governor’s office for another term, defeating opponents Cunningham and Reeves. McMaster earned 57.2% of the votes across South Carolina, totaling 711,862 ballots, compared to Cunningham’s 41.6% of votes and Reeves’ 1.2%. This victory means another four years of Republican leadership in South Carolina, even though many posts across social media indicate negative sentiment toward McMaster. McMaster himself has not yet posted anything on his Twitter account since the race was called.

Read our article about the gubernatorial candidates here.

Senator: Tim Scott (R – Incumbent) def. Krystle Matthews (D) 

The race for this Senate seat was one of the very first called across the entire country last night, with Scott easily defeating Matthews to retain his spot in Washington D.C. Scott earned a solid 68% of the vote (742,616 ballots) compared to 38% (455,066 ballots) for Matthews, and write-in candidate Jesse Harper sadly earning not a single vote. Scott first took office in 2013 and continues his tenure for this next term.

Incumbent senator Lindsey Graham (R) was not up for re-election this cycle.

Read our article about the Senate candidates here.

House of Representatives

District 1: Nancy Mace (R – Incumbent) def. Annie Andrews (D) and Joseph Oddo (Alliance)

Mace was yet another Republican candidate who was re-elected. District 1 includes Charleston and much of the surrounding coastal area of the state. Mace earned 56.4% of the vote, compared to Andrews’ 42.5% and Oddo’s 1%.

District 2: Joe Wilson (R – Incumbent) def. Judd Larkins (D)

Wilson earned 59.4% of the vote compared to Clemson University alumnus Larkins, who earned 40.6%. District 2 includes the city of Columbia.

District 3: Jeff Duncan (R – Incumbent) won

Duncan ran unopposed in District 3, which is home to us here in Clemson.

District 4: William Timmons (R – Incumbent) def. Lee Turner (Independent write-in)

Timmons also maintained his hold in District 4, which houses Greenville.

District 5: Ralph Norman (R – Incumbent) def. Evangeline Hundley (D) and Larry Gaither (Green)

The strong run for incumbent Republican candidates continued as Norman also held onto District 5, winning with 64.5% of the vote compared to 34% for Hundley and 1.5% for Gaither.

District 6: James Clybern (D – Incumbent) def. Duke Buckner (R) 

However, the luck of the incumbent was not only limited to Republicans. Democratic representative James Clybern also kept ahold of his seat for District 6, defeating Buckner by nabbing 61.5% of the vote.

District 7: Russell Fry (R) def. Daryl Scott (D) 

The incumbent representative for District 7, Tom Rice, did not make the final ballot in the general election. Instead, Russell Fry advanced as the Republican candidate, and he ultimately took the district over Scott with 63.7% of the vote.

Read our article about the House of Representatives candidates here.

At the end of the day, of the nine South Carolina politicians in Congress (eight of whom were on the Nov. 8 general election ballot), only one is a Democrat, James Clybern of District 6 in the House of Representatives. The others are all members of the Republican party:

Partisan breakdown in South Carolina
Courtesy of Ballotpedia

Author: Kayleigh Jackson

South Carolina’s Senate Candidates On Social Media

November 2, 2022

Earlier in this election cycle, we looked at South Carolina’s three candidates for governor and their presences on Twitter. Now, let’s take a look at the three candidates for the state’s seat in the Senate: Tim Scott (R), Krystle Matthews (D), and Jesse Harper (I).

Tim Scott – Republican – Incumbent

Scott is the incumbent senator for the state of South Carolina, and is running for re-election on Nov. 8. Two other Republican candidates, Casey O’Grady and Timothy Swain, withdrew from the race prior to the primary election, allowing Scott to move ahead unchallenged within his own party. Scott’s name has been mentioned 10.6K+ times in the United States since the start of October. On Twitter, he was mentioned 606 times by users who identify their locations as within South Carolina. Nearly 70% of these mentions were negatively coded.

Many of the top themes of discussion around Scott discuss his connections to other political figures, several of them being polarizing Republicans like incumbent governor Henry McMaster, fellow South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham (who is not up for re-election this cycle), and Herschel Walker. Within the most recent content, many users discuss how Scott’s politics are money-driven and fail to represent other South Carolinians of color in particular. In fact, most mentions of Scott’s name are opposed to him and his policies, advocating for his opponent Krystle Matthews and pointing out how poorly Scott has addressed local issues like infrastructure and crime rates.

Scott’s Twitter handle is @SenatorTimScott, and has been mentioned 14.1K+ times in the United States since the start of October; a whopping 85% of mentions are negative – which comes as no surprise after analyzing the themes of Tweets in-state that mention his name. Scott has 679K followers on the platform and has posted 11.4K times since joining in Nov. 2010. Sean Hannity, Dr. Oz, and and FOX News contributor Jason Chaffetz are among the top prolific users engaging with his Twitter account this month.

Krystle Matthews – Democrat

Matthews earned the Democratic nomination after beating out opponents Angela Geter and Catherine Fleming Bruce in the primaries. All three initial candidates are women of color, an exciting development for the state.

Each candidate’s supporters seem to take over mentions of their opponent’s name – just as many of Matthews’ advocates took over mentions of Scott’s name with pro-Matthews content, many of the top and recent posts on Twitter under Matthews’ name are bashing her and advocating for Scott. Lots of this content alleges that Matthews is a foul-mouthed and immature racist rather than focusing on her policies or what benefits her opponents may offer that she doesn’t.

Matthews has only been mentioned 562 times in the United States since the start of October, and 96.4% of these mentions are negative – many similar to the attacks mentioned above. There is a major uptick in mentions just yesterday, Nov. 1, with the following Tweet being shared widely by her supporters:

https://twitter.com/veteran91910/status/1587444102790103040?s=20&t=wOvUdUNItbwg7qGBqYjm8A

Matthews used to be able be found on Twitter at @kmforsenate, but another reason her name was trending so much on Nov. 1 was that she evidently deleted her account yesterday as well. With so much vitriol, it’s understandable that she made this decision, yet from a public relations and marketing standpoint it seems an interesting move especially as the election nears. Her account’s disappearance was spotted by a pundit on the conservative platform Gettr, which describes itself as “a brand new social media platform founded on the principles of free speech, independent thought and rejecting political censorship and ‘cancel culture’.”

https://twitter.com/Ellabellabadd/status/1587494574246723585?s=20&t=eUcWHudXxQQBLgv3PIVG8Q

Jesse Harper – Independent American Party

Harper is a write-in independent candidate listed as a member of the Independent American Party. Larry Adams Jr. was another independent candidate who withdrew from the race, leaving Harper as the only challenger to the bipartisan system. However, it looks like Harper will not be able to make much of an impact on the election. Their name has only been mentioned 24 times in the United States since the start of October, and most of those are not about the same Jesse Harper in question. In fact, a majority of them are about a man named Jesse Harper who recently opened a recreational marijuana business in Vermont.

In trying to narrow down the content down to our Jesse Harper, there is only one Tweet about Harper and South Carolina, posted on Sept. 8 – before Adams left the race.

Harper does not appear to have a Twitter profile and indeed it is difficult to even find via Google, with their name returning results for an EMT, an inmate, and a former football player who died in 1961.

It appears the race for the second Senate seat here in South Carolina will come down to Scott and Matthews, and based on the combative dialogue online it looks like it will prove to be a contentious battle indeed.

Author: Kayleigh Jackson

Fair Elections, Voter Intimidation Top Concerns for Midterm Elections

October 26, 2022

As November’s general elections loom ever-nearer, public opinion across the United States remains divided on candidates and the state of the nation – often publicly and vocally divided, in fact. These midterm elections will be the first elections since president Joe Biden took office and will provide a watermark for how Americans are feeling about his – and his allies’ and opponents’ – work thus far.

As The Guardian reminds us, Biden will not be on the ballots, but a variety of national and local politicians will be vying for office. Every single one of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives is up for grabs, as well as 35 seats in the Senate, 36 state governorships and three territorial governorships, and myriad local positions such as mayors, regional judges, and council-members. Ballot measures are also up for vote, including state legislature regarding abortion following the repeal of Roe v. Wade in June 2022.

We recently looked at the three candidates for the office of the governor here in South Carolina and their presences on Twitter. However, these three are only a small part of the wider electoral landscape at large across the country. What are some of the opinions and discussion themes guiding election coverage nationwide this year? And how has that changed since the Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021?

Just searching for the simple term “elections” since Jan. 1, 2022, unsurprisingly returns a massive volume of messages: that single word was mentioned more than 11.61 million times this year alone within the United States. A whopping 88.83% of these discussions are coded with negative sentiment, which is not surprising given the vitriol behind candidates’ ads and news platforms. Naturally, so many mentions does not lead to a very conducive micro-level look at the dialogue, but some of the overarching themes can give insight into what people have been talking about over the run-up to the Nov. 8 elections.

One of the most dominant themes is “fair elections.” Ever since former president Donald Trump lost his re-election bid in the 2020 presidential election, concern has spread across America about the validity of elections and whether or not votes are being properly counted. While investigations have proven that there was no fraud in that election and it was conducted fairly, the ongoing concern has spread from Trump’s supporters to a wider population who are also worried about their vote counting.

The two most-shared Tweets under this topic come from the Biden White House and former president Barack Obama, reaffirming the fairness of that election and others in the U.S., as well as expressing the need for reliable and passionate poll workers. Reports indicated that it is difficult to find poll workers for these upcoming elections because volunteers and employees fear for their safety in such a contentious atmosphere.

Another recurring theme of discussion is gerrymandering, the practice of moving voting district borders to make the most desirable districts for a party or candidate. There was a huge uptick in mentions of gerrymandering and elections in conjunction with each other in June 2022, right around the time Roe v. Wade was overturned and many states’ leaderships proved to not be very representative of their constituents’ opinions on abortion.

Many people talking about gerrymandering discussed how specifically partisan it is and called for an end to the practice – along with several other reforms to make voting more fair and easier for all citizens, in particular with the Freedom to Vote Act. This Act garnered nearly 359K mentions this year with 87.3% of those being negative. However, phrases like “filibuster” and “head in the sand” showed up frequently in conjunction with the Act’s name, indicating that a lot of the negative mentions come from affiliated practices and perceptions of legislators. On the other hand, many of the top posts are from Democratic leaders like Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Kamala Harris, advocating for the need for the Act in creating a more egalitarian vote.

Overall, the phrase “democracy is in crisis” showed up repeatedly not only under searches for widely controversial practices like filibustering and gerrymandering, but also in larger election coverage as well. One of the more widely disseminated op-eds containing the phrase hearkens back to the problem of intimidation and threats at the polls, particularly by armed and/or organized civilian groups. Recently, in Arizona, a group was served a temporary restraining order after Latinx voters reported being threatened and feeling unsafe while voting. Forbes reports that more than 40% of Americans are worried about intimidation tactics and physical threats at the polls. Some voters are reporting online that they have also been turned away from early voting, or even have been arrested by police after erroneously being told by officials they were eligible and registered to vote.

https://twitter.com/vanessajones/status/1582019171281301505?s=20&t=tIT9d8KhDX6-aCMIUXqMIA

Stay tuned with us here at the Clemson Social Media Listening Center leading up to the Nov. 8 general elections.

Author: Kayleigh Jackson

Fans Remember Robbie Coltrane After Actor’s Passing

October 19, 2022

Renowned Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane passed away last Friday at the age of 72. Coltrane was perhaps best known to the younger audiences for his portrayal of lovable half-giant and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter movie series.

Coltrane began acting with roles in the theatre in the late ’70s and transitioned to broadcast productions in the 1980s, starring alongside other British greats, including Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, and future Harry Potter co-star Emma Thompson. The late Queen Elizabeth II appointed him as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2006 for his “services to drama.” Throughout his career, Coltrane also earned many other awards, including several for “Best Actor” in his shows.

He was even voted as the No. 6 “Most Recognizable Scot” in a United Kingdom poll in 2006, following the Loch Ness Monster, Robert Burns, Sean Connery, Robert the Bruce, and William Wallace.

Coltrane had suffered from osteoarthritis later in his life, and reports shared that he had used a wheelchair for several years leading up to his death due to the extreme pain he was suffering through.

Many fans and entertainment entities expressed sadness and condolences upon hearing of his death, including many of his Harry Potter cast-mates. From Oct. 11 through Oct. 19, Coltrane’s name was mentioned 1.17 million times worldwide, with a major spike of nearly 922K mentions on Oct. 14, the day the news broke that he had passed away.

Former co-stars turned to social media to share tributes to the late actor, including Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter)…

Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter)…

and Hugh Laurie (his co-star in several productions, including the sketch show “Alfresco” and BBC sitcom “Blackadder”).

Though a Scottish actor, Coltrane touched the hearts of millions worldwide, and support poured in globally. Following the United States and United Kingdom, the top countries with mentions of Coltrane’s name were Brazil, Spain, and Thailand, with many of the most popular Tweets posted in Thai.

Many evoked popular motifs from the Harry Potter series as they mourned, including the scene of students raising their wand in tribute to character Albus Dumbledore’s death. Visitors to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, FL, even re-enacted the tribute themselves:

Others mourned Coltrane as the latest of the Harry Potter movies’ cast to leave us. Acting giants such as Alan Rickman (Severus Snape), Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley), Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy), John Hurt (Mr. Ollivander), Richard Harris (the original Albus Dumbledore), and Verne Troyer (Griphook the goblin) have all passed away since the movies first hit the big screen.

Though we will all miss Coltrane’s contributions to acting and charming personality, we can feel cheered by his legacy to this generation and future ones. An interview from the Harry Potter reunion special resurfaced in which Coltrane reflects on what Hagrid meant to so many people: “In 50 years’ time, I’ll not be here, sadly… but Hagrid will.”

Author: Kayleigh Jackson

Fire on Rapa Nui Irreparably Damages Moai Statues

October 13, 2022

The iconic Moai statues on Easter Island, traditionally known as Rapa Nui, have been left “totally charred” following a fire on the remote Pacific island. The fire blazed through more than 250 acres of the UNESCO World Heritage site and “irreparably” damaged many of the giant, ancient statues.

While some sources initially reported the cause as a volcano fire, Rapa Nui’s mayor, Pedro Edmunds Paoa, believes it was intentional, telling newscasters that all fires on the island are caused by humans. If it was indeed arson, the perpetrator permanently damaged statues that were nearly a thousand years old – the first being carved around 1100 C.E.

According to Paoa, the fire probably sped up the rocks’ natural degradation and erosion process, already precarious due to their age and the porous nature of the volcanic rock they’re made from. Archaeologists and scientists have documented more than 800 moai around the island but suspect there could be several hundred more yet undiscovered. Debate over the statues’ purpose(s) remains ongoing, as some theorize they represented past chiefs while others suspect the Polynesians used them to mark sources of fresh water on the island.

The park and island are now closed to visitors, another blow to Rapa Nui’s heavily tourist-based economy. Due to COVID-19, tourism had been restricted over the past few years and the island had only recently re-opened at the start of August.

Now, Paoa maintains that the only way to protect the site from vandals is to have permanent guards around the moai and Rano Raraku volcanic crater, the latter being the site of the most fire damage. He also insinuated that the absenteeism of Chile’s government and their apathy toward Rapa Nui, the world’s most remote inhabited island, allowed for the alleged arson.

Over the last week, social media mentions of the island spiked aggressively on Oct. 9, shortly after global news sources like Reuters broke the news. People online expressed heartbreak over the fire and its damage, while also rightfully pointing out there was much less news coverage than there was for a similar fire-based disaster, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in 2019.

And they had a point. 42.9K of the total 44.5K mentions of “Easter Island” and “Rapa Nui” in a one-week timespan stemmed from Twitter, with minimal conversations and traffic coming from traditional news sources or news sites. In comparison, Notre Dame was mentioned 12.76 million times in a similar one-week timespan surrounding its fire. While certainly not to lessen the significance of the damage incurred at Notre Dame, this clear disparity in news coverage demonstrates that the world’s eyes still avoid the global south.

According to a Twitter user whose location is marked as Chile, the Chilean media did not even share this news immediately.

Translation: “1. Why did they not put this on the news in Chile? 2. It’s called Rapa Nui.”

The Copernicus, the EU Space Programme’s Earth Observation facet, shared a picture of the fire damage and burn scar from space. Hopefully the island’s environment and economy are able to recover quickly, and Paoa and his investigators can apprehend the culprits.

Author: Kayleigh Jackson

North Korea Fires Missile Over Japan as South Korea, U.S., Respond

October 5, 2022

North Korea has fired a ballistic missile over Japan for the first time since 2017, according to CNN. Though this was North Korea’s 23rd missile launch this year, it was the first directed to fly over their neighboring country – without warning – in five years.

Reports of the launch describe the missile flying 2,858 miles and reaching a top speed of Mach 17 before it landed in the Pacific Ocean. Usually, experts say, North Korean missile launches soar over the Korean Peninsula and into nearby waters rather than passing into Japanese territories. Per CNN, this could be considered an escalation or a threat simply because it’s “provocative to fire a missile over your neighbor.”

This long-range missile was last thought to be tested in January, and there are concerns about why the North Korean government is launching tests again now. Since Kim Jong Un took power, he vowed to strengthen the North Korean nuclear program and this year even said he wanted to move development ahead at the “highest possible” speed. This launch was the fifth within a week’s time span.

In turn, the United States and South Korea responded with their own joint strike package flight and conducted a precision bombing drill – though one of the South Korean missiles failed. Yet, some experts are concerned that shows of force like this, as well as other means of backlash to North Korea, are increasingly ineffective, even coming from united fronts. Sanctions from several nations may be the ultimate step to curbing North Korea’s behavior. The United States has now called an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss the launches.

With the news breaking just over 24 hours ago, this situation is clearly ongoing and continuing to develop. Yet since the morning of October 4, there have been more than 74K mentions of the words “Japan” and “North Korea” together, reaching approximately 1.73 billion feeds. An overwhelming 85% of these were negative in sentiment.

Many of the themes of content speak to the uneasiness this launch created, with themes surrounding the words “warning,” “alert,” “news,” and “shelter.” Monetary concerns about the implications of the conflict are also prevalent, with some popular words in mentions including “market,” “data,” “forecasts,” and “industry trends.” CNN, The New York Times, BBC News, and other global news outlets are some of the most prominent names discussing this trend, which has the most traffic in the United States.

Social traffic itself is divided, as some conservative pundits are using the launch as an opportunity to promote partisan politics. A repeated mantra is that when Donald Trump was president, North Korea would never have done such a thing, especially launching directly at Japan:

However, this assertion is blatantly false, as North Korea did indeed launch a missile toward Japan in 2017, as many comments and replies point out.

Much of the rest of the top content shared is simple dissemination of news and updates rather than political discourse or arguments. Inevitably, most Western news about North Korea is biased and distorted, though it seems at this point the facts are still continuing to develop. Hopefully the next news surge will soon be telling us of de-escalation.

Author: Kayleigh Jackson

Hurricane Ian Poised To Make Landfall in Florida

September 28, 2022

This year’s violent hurricane season continues with Hurricane Ian beginning to make landfall in Florida today after plowing through Cuba. Ian is poised to be even stronger than Hurricane Fiona, which peaked at Category 4 and led to more than 16 deaths from the Caribbean up through the maritime provinces in Canada.

The Weather Channel’s coverage relates that possibly record-setting storm surges will hit across coastal regions, with the third-highest storm surge in Key West in the last 100 years and an “Extreme Wind Warning” issued to Sanibel Island and surrounding areas. Much of Fort Myers is already flooded and underwater, and high population meccas like Tampa prepare for the worst:

Meanwhile, waters are receding in parts of Florida before the storm surge hits. Local weather reporters and residents are providing an invaluable source of footage and on-the-ground context as Ian approaches.

https://twitter.com/mikebettes/status/1575180210219139080?s=20&t=kmMbPpffdvdfXdWbDRDcug

Just as the storm has grown over the last few days, so has the conversation around it. The hashtag #Ian has nearly 360.5K mentions over the last seven days, with a major spike beginning on Sept. 25 as people started to realize how severe this hurricane will truly be. More than 2.5 million people were placed under mandatory evacuation orders, although unfortunately as in any dire scenario, many are not able to take the steps toward evacuation – whether it’s because they are disabled or elderly, lack the necessary resources to pack up and leave, care for pets or dependents, are first responders, or a variety of other reasons. Manatee County, FL, is now on mandatory lockdown as authorities stated it was no longer safe to travel.

Though Twitter has the most dialogue surrounding Ian, the most valuable web domains with significant traffic are news or travel sites such as Google News, Yahoo, MSN, and even TripAdvisor. Southern residents, both those who have evacuated and those who are sheltering in place, are seeking news about the danger level and destruction that has already occurred.

However, Florida is not Ian’s only target – it already decimated Cuba on Tuesday and knocked the entire country’s power grid offline. Winds up to 125 mph were reported in the island nation, as well as two deaths so far, and much of the online dialogue around Ian and Cuba focuses on preparations and alerts as Cubans struggle through the aftermath.

Hurricane Ian has wreaked havoc in Cuba
This photo from AP shows some of the destruction Hurricane Ian wreaked in Cuba

Even over the course of writing this article, Ian’s eyewall has since made landfall in Florida. The storm and its damage will continue to develop and grow, as many news sources are providing live updates on the catastrophe. Keep an eye on posts that circulate over the next few days sharing organizations and resources that help those displaced or injured, such as chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen:

Hopefully, the residents of Florida and Cuba will face a return to normalcy soon with a reprieve from such storms and their repercussions.

Author: Kayleigh Jackson 

Rihanna to Host Super Bowl Halftime Show

September 27, 2022

Rihanna is back, in a way! The popular singer took over social media within the last 24 hours after posting a photo of her holding a football on Twitter.

With over 24.7K comments, 377.3K retweets, and 1.6M likes, it is no surprise that this was the trending topic on Sunday, September 25, 2022. These numbers are more than likely to continue increasing. Rihanna is rarely not trending within the paparazzi community and news posts, but as the author of the tweet, she had full control over the messages she curated.

She has not performed in a live concert since 2018; this will be her return debut in the music industry after leaving to focus on her Fenty beauty line products.

Sprinklr recorded between the 24-hour period of September 25th to September 26th exponential growth in numbers regarding Rihanna. The reach of this topic was 6.52B, and there were over one million mentions of her name, specifically on Twitter. Over 60% of these mentions were analyzed as positive. Furthermore, Sprinklr analyzed the type of content posted on social media platforms.

Content Types

The videos and photos posted overtook the type of content curated. This topic will continue to trend forward and will significantly bounce back in the future closer to the Super Bowl date in February of 2023.

Author: Louisa Glazunova