Upload
axel-bruns
View
771
Download
3
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Paper by Theresa Sauter and Axel Bruns, presented at the Association of Internet Researchers conference, Denver, 26 Oct. 2013.
Citation preview
Exploring Emotions on #auspol: Polarity and Public Performance in the Twitter Debate on Australian PoliticsDr. Theresa Sauter and Assoc. Prof. Axel Bruns, with Catherine Bub
ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation
Queensland University of Technology
Brisbane, Australia
[email protected] – [email protected]
@lena_sauter – @snurb_dot_info
http://mappingonlinepublics.net/
TIMELINE
• Nov. 2007: Kevin Rudd (Labor) wins the federal election
• Dec. 2009: Tony Abbott (Liberal) becomes Opposition Leader
• June 2010: Kevin Rudd is replaced by his Deputy, Julia Gillard (Labor)
• Aug. 2010: Julia Gillard narrowly wins the federal election
Labor minority government, supported by Greens and Independents
Labor introduces Emissions Trading Scheme amid fierce opposition
Poor opinion polls for Gillard, continuing Labor leadership tension
Several unsuccessful leadership challenges by Kevin Rudd
• June 2013: Rudd wins leadership challenge, becomes PM again, calls election
• 4 Aug. – 7 Sep. 2013: 2013 Australian federal election campaign
• Sep. 2013: Tony Abbott wins the federal election
BACKGROUND
• Research projects:– ARC Discovery: New Media and Public Communication (QUT)– NRC FRISAM: Impact of Social Media on Agenda-Setting in Election
Campaigns (QUT, UiO, UiB, Uppsala, CSU LB)– ATN-DAAD: Mapping Networked Politics (QUT, LMU)
• Study design:– Long-term capture of the #auspol hashtag– Selection of two key periods in recent Australian politics– Quantitative analysis + manual coding (with thanks to Catherine Bub)– Further qualitative exploration of tweets and profiles– Work in progress
AUSTRALIAN POLITICS AND #AUSPOL
• #auspol:– Long-standing hashtag for the discussion of Australian politics on Twitter– Very high volume of tweets, strongly concentrated community– Traditionally highly belligerent, dominated by conservatives (?)
• Australian politics on Twitter:– Substantial political discussion within and outside #auspol– Large network of politics-focussed accounts, not all participating in #auspol– Alternative hashtags also well-frequented – especially #ausvotes during elections
AUSTRALIAN TWITTERSPHERE (EARLY 2012)
PerthMarketing / PR
DesignWeb
Creative
FarmingAgriculture
HardlineConservatives
ConservativesJournalists
ALPProgressives
Greens
News
OpinionNews
NGOsSocial Policy
ITTech
Social MediaTechPR
Advertising
Real EstateProperty
JobsHR
Business
BusinessProperty
Parenting
Mums CraftArts
FoodWine
Beer
Adelaide
SocialICTs
CreativeDesign
FashionBeauty
UtilitiesServices
Net Culture
BooksLiteraturePublishing
Film
TheatreArts
RadioTV Music
DanceHip Hop
Triple J
TalkbackBreakfast TVCelebritiesCycling
Union
NRL
Football
CricketAFL
SwimmingV8s
Evangelicals
Teachinge-Learning
Schools
ChristiansHillsong
Teens
Jonas Bros.Beliebers
Australian Bands
@KRuddMP
@JuliaGillard
#AUSPOL (EARLY 2012)
Follower/followee network:~120,000 Australian Twitter users(of ~950,000 known accounts by early 2012) colour = #auspol tweets, size = indegree
#AUSVOTES (2010 ELECTION)
Follower/followee network:~120,000 Australian Twitter users(of ~950,000 known accounts by early 2012) colour = #ausvotes tweets, size = indegree
#AUSPOL 2013
Rudd/Gillard leadership challenge
(unsuccessful)
Rudd/Gillard leadership challenge
(successful)
1 2
THE #AUSPOL COMMUNITY
• Mid-May to mid-June 2013:
• July 2013:
• Core group:– 10% most active
contributors dominant:– 84% tweets (May-June)– 81% tweets (July)
– Lead users (1%):– 49% tweets (May-June)– 44% tweets (July)
• Interactive:– 65% of tweets are
@replies or retweets (steady across May-June / July periods)
• Stable:– Composition of lead user
group largely consistent
• Mid-May to mid-June 2013:
• July 2013:
SELECTIONOF ACCOUNTS• Patterns:
– One hyperactive anti-ALP account: original tweets with URLs
– Some retweet-only accounts
– Remaining lead group: 1700-4000 #auspol tweets per month
• Selection:– Six accounts for each
phase– Top six senders of
@replies in #auspol– Four accounts in both
phases + 2 unique accounts for phase 1 and 2 each
– Names anonymised
CODING OF TWEETS
• Approach:– Every 10th tweet coded:
• Attitude towards political party (-5 to +5), for ALP, Liberals, Greens, Others, Mixed
• Attitude towards fellow users (-5 to +5),for general accounts and media accounts
– Averaging of attitude ratings for each user and each period– Comparison across periods
THE USERS: MID-MAY TO MID-JUNE
Observations:• Tone towards other users:
– Generally neutral to negative (-0.14 to -0.47)
– Except 4: +0.17
• Tone towards parties:– Vocally negative towards
Liberals– Quietly positive towards Labor
used to attack more than support parties
– Except 6: strongly negative towards ALP, support for UKIP
Tone towards PartiesUser ALP (#) Lib (#)
1 0.1 (20) -0.73 (97)
2 0.15 (13) -0.57 (107)
3 1.37 (8) -1.03 (105)
4 1.67 (18) -1.05 (41)
5 0.5 (8) -1.08 (111)
6 -2.18 (28) 2.67 (3)
THE USERS: JULY
Observations:• Tone towards other users:
– Generally neutral (-0.23 to +0.13)
• Tone towards parties:– Vocally negative towards Liberals –
no change– Positive towards Labor– Mixed response to leadership
change– Still mainly used to attack rather
than support parties
• More negative towards media
Tone towards PartiesUser ALP (#) Lib (#)
1 0.5 ↗ (20) -1.02 (85)
2 0.86 ↗ (7) -0.60 (123)
3 0.83 ↘ (6) -1.46 (96)
4 0.27 ↘ (22) -1.06 (47)
7 0.14 (7) -1.06 (76)
8 1.09 (33) -1.04 (117)
@MENTIONS MAY-JUNE
#auspol accounts with degree ≥ 100Size = degree, colour = party (politicians only)
RETWEETS MAY-JUNE
#auspol accounts with degree ≥ 100Edges which are ≥ 66% retweets only
@REPLIES MAY-JUNE
#auspol accounts with degree ≥ 100Edges which are ≤ 33% retweets only
@MENTIONS JULY
#auspol accounts with degree ≥ 100Size = degree, colour = party (politicians only)
RETWEETS JULY
#auspol accounts with degree ≥ 100Edges which are ≥ 66% retweets only
@REPLIES JULY
#auspol accounts with degree ≥ 100Edges which are ≤ 33% retweets only
#AUSPOL ACCORDING TO VOTECOMPASS
http://votecompass.com/2013/07/25/are-you-among-australias-most-influential-political-tweeters-votecompass-maps-the-auspol-twittersphere/
REFLECTIONS
• #auspol lead user activity:– Not as conservative-dominated as previously assumed– Several overlapping trends:
• Highly partisan retweet networks• Cross-party @replying: criticism of opposition politicians and engagement
with fellow #auspol contributors– More criticism than support of parties and leading candidates
• Highly discursive users in our May-June / July samples:– Mostly anti-Liberal (but no clear indication of wider #auspol patterns)– Split between anti-Liberal cluster and network centre– Mixed reaction to Gillard/Rudd leadership change
– to be continued…
http://mappingonlinepublics.net/@snurb_dot_info
@lena_sauter
@jeanburgess
@dpwoodford
@timhighfield
@_StephenH
@quods
@socialmediaQUT