Key Takeaways:
– During the 2024 election, more posts were made about Donald Trump than Kamala Harris.
– Most coverage on X platform was right-leaning while TikTok had a higher percentage of left-leaning posts.
– After the elections, critical coverage of both candidates significantly decreased.
– Majority of the influencers have no connections with news organizations.
– About 21% of Americans consume news from social media creators, especially the youth.
Hey there! Today, we’re diving into an interesting topic – social media influence during the 2024 presidential run between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. This won’t be too complex, so come along!
Who Got More Screen Time?
Apparently, Trump was the talk of the town (or rather, the net) twice as much as Harris! Despite 90% of news influencers mentioning Trump and 86% mentioning Harris at least once, Trump’s presence in social media posts was 12%, double that of Harris’s 6%.
Social Media Platforms and Their Leanings
Now, let’s hop onto the platforms where the action took place. There was a platform (let’s call it X) which was the prime site for all the buzz, holding 79% of all posts regarding the two candidates. Interestingly, X had a right-leaning tilt; 48% of candidate mentions came from right-leaning influencers as opposed to a 28% from the left.
On the flip side, TikTok sang a different tune; 45% of mentions came from left-leaning influencers. In terms of content, posts about Trump were mostly critical (54%), while Harris received an even mix of support and criticism.
Frequency and Type of Posts
Right-leaning influencers loved their keyboards, averaging 183 posts every week with around 21 mentions of Trump. In contrast, left-leaning influencers made around 72 posts weekly, with Harris’s name popping up in 12 of them.
Influencers’ Background and Its Effect
Interestingly, a chunky 77% of these influencers aren’t tied to any news organization. Those who had dabbled in the newsroom often were more inclined to critique Trump while being neutral on Harris. Others, sans newsroom exposure, tended to criticize Harris while striking a balance with Trump.
After the Election: How Things Changed
Post-election week brought changes in tone. Cutting down criticisms, the influencers’ focus seemed to shift. Trump’s criticism plummeted 18 points to 24%, and Harris’s criticisms slightly dipped to 36%. Support rose for Trump from 28% to 35% while Harris saw a drop to a mere 9%.
Interestingly, post-election, left-leaning influencers’ support for Harris drastically fell from 75% to 31%. Trump’s steady fan base from the right barely fluctuated, changing only a little from 69% to 72%.
A Blink at the Influencers’ Political Leaning
Of the influencers analyzed, 27% leaned towards the right, 21% to the left, and almost half (48%) maintained a neutral stance towards politics.
In the build-up to elections, influencers were more critical than supportive of Harris while Trump got an even balance of both. Almost half of the influencers mentioning either candidate (42%) were more critical, with around a quarter being more supportive – 28% for Trump and 24% for Harris.
A Mirage of News Sources
Approximately 21% of Americans depend on social media influencers for their news, especially those aged between 18 and 29. However, a surprising statistic from UNESCO found only around 37% of influencers double-check the info they deliver to their audience.
Though social media played a significant role during the 2024 presidential elections, it’s important to question and verify the information these platforms deliver. Our understanding of the world rests, to a large extent, on the credibility of the information we consume. Stay informed and stay critical, folks!
