The News in New Media

Former Secretary of State, Colin Powell, dies at 84.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has died after complications from COVID-19 on October 18, 2021. Colin was the first Black person to represent the U.S. government on the world stage, as President Ge0rge W. Bush’s Secretary of State. He set many standards for the military and had a long career within the U.S. government. News of Powell’s death quickly spread online, with 1,151,416 mentions in the past week. The discussion has been most frequent on Twitter with the hashtags #covid19 and #colinpowell being most frequently used. 

Powell worked with many presidents both Democratic and Republican. He was a Vietnam veteran with 35 years in the Army and eventually rose to the rank of four-star general. While serving in Vietnam he received the Soldier’s Medal for rescuing several men and was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, twice. As a high-profile military official, Powell’s death has been covered by many of the mainstream news outlets, including CNN, BBC, and the New York Times to name a few. Additionally, his connections to both political parties run deep and sentiments from politicians everywhere can be found on social media. President Biden released a statement regarding Powell’s death honoring the late general. Former President Barak Obama, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, all honored the memory of Colin Powell as well. 

 

Powell was regarded by many as a brilliant general who valued diplomacy and problem-solving. President Biden ordered flags to be flown at half-staff after receiving news of Powell’s death. Secretary Antony Blinken honored Powell at the U.S. Department of State, saying:

He believed deeply that America was an exceptional nation, that we could and should lead with confidence and humility, and that the world was safer when the United States was engaged and its allies and partners were united”. 

Words commonly used in positive mentions such as “great”, “family”, “service”, “American”, “dedicated”, and “patriot” all speak to the positive opinions his fellow officials held for him. While having an illustrious career, Powell is often criticized for his part in the Iraq War, when he cited faulty information to the United Nations Security Council. Because of this Powell’s death has sparked a conversation about this blemish in his career. When looking at the most used negative words in mentions like “Iraq”, “COVID-19”, “war”, criminal”, “lied”, and “death”, they seem to be associated with Powell’s previous transgression.

Powell is known as a trailblazer within the military who set the precedent for future generations of military leaders. Powell grew up in South Bronx with Jamaican immigrant parents and worked his way up to one of the highest-ranking military offices. Powell’s memory will be that of many successes and accomplishments.



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