Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh prepares to testify during the third day of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, September 6, 2018. REUTERS/Alex Wroblewski

Post written by Brandon Boatwright

In light of recent accusations made against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the use of #MeToo on Twitter has risen more than 425-percent over a seven day span.

Kavanaugh’s accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, alleges that he sexually assaulted her during a party in 1982. As the Senate Judiciary Committee weighs its options on how the accusation will affect Kavanaugh’s nomination proceedings, #MeToo has resurfaced on social media with renewed vigor.

Tweets using #MeToo spiked on Sept. 16, the same day Kavanaugh was accused of sexual assault.

The #MeToo movement gained significant media attention last fall, and some estimates suggest that more than 6.5 million tweets using the hashtag were sent between October 2017 and January 2018. According to our data, #MeToo was used more than 383,000 times over the course of the last seven days alone.

As more and more stories of sexual assault and harassment continue to surface, many on social media are issuing a call to action. The Kavanaugh nomination notwithstanding, it remains obvious that much more needs to be done in order to address the underlying systemic factors that enable such egregious acts. The sheer volume of tweets mentioning #MeToo is astounding. Perhaps even more significant is the hashtag’s longevity as a social movement.

A word-cloud shows the frequently most used words and phrases associated with #MeToo during the Kavanaugh hearings.

Twitter and other social platforms have become widely popular tools among activist groups looking to upend the status quo. Such was the case during the Arab Spring in 2010 and the emergence of #BlackLivesMatter.

As social media continue to serve as vehicles for social change, it’s important to monitor how these ongoing conversations not only identify a problem, but also contribute to actionable solutions.

Posted by James Zhang. 

According to news reports, in response to the President Trump’s announcement of new import taxes on $200 billion in Chinese goods, the Chinese government will plan to retaliate by imposing new tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. exports. What does the American public say about this escalated trade war between the two largest economies?

Across Twitter, regarding Trump’s Tariffs, the volume of conversation is high. More than 76,000 tweets indicates that the public is knowingly concerned with the escalated trade war between the U.S. and China. The conversation on Twitter reached a peak (25,000 tweets) on Monday, September 18, when President Trump announced new import taxes on $200 billion in Chinese goods.

Regarding the issue of Trump’s tariffs, the chatter on Twitter is centered around the following key words: Trump, China, trade, tariffs, and economy.

Overall, the majority of Twitter users reacted to Trump’s tariffs in a negative way. A sentiment analysis on those tweets illuminates that more than two thirds of Twitter users hold a negative attitude toward the escalated trade war between the U.S. and China.

One of the most trending tweets regarding to the trade war is about China’s reaction to Trump’s tariffs and how the U.S. will react if China retaliated. The World Trade Organization (WTO)’s mediating role in de-escalating the trade war between the U.S. and China is also a part of conversation.

The economy is one of the most hotly debated topics on social media. With the trade war between the U.S. and China being escalated, the public will continue to focus their attention on how tariffs will affect the price of popular products, consumers, the stock market, andthe Trump administration’s foreign policy.

The Adam Brown Social Media Command Center has partnered with social analytics labs from universities across the country to form the Social Analytics Consortium (SAC). The SAC was established to foster and advance interdisciplinary communication research collaboration and enhance pedagogical skills in the field of social analytics.

As part of our continued effort to be leaders in this emerging field, the ABSMCC is excited to partner with researchers from universities across the country to provide resources for scholarly and pedagogical advancements in big data analysis and social media metrics.

The SAC was established as a collaborative effort among existing social analytics labs in higher education settings to explore issues related to social media research, pedagogy, facility management, professional development, and lobbying efforts. Moreover, as businesses and organizations are increasingly trying to use data to inform decision-making processes, the SAC was organized as a means for researchers to address some of the most pressing challenges associated with gathering, assessing, and making sense out of the social media landscape.

The SAC was developed by researchers from the University of Tennessee, Clemson University, Illinois State University, Ohio University, and the University of Akron. More information about the respective labs from each of these universities can be found on the SAC’s website.

Queries about the ABSMCC’s role in the newly established SAC can be directed to Dr. Courtney Childers, Executive Director of the ABSMCC, or Brandon Boatwright, Graduate Associate.

The wait is over, and Vol fans are excited to welcome the University of Tennessee’s 26th head football coach.

Word broke Thursday morning that former University of Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt had finalized a deal to become the Vols’ new head coach. The story gained traction quickly on social media, as more than 75,000 mentions of coach Pruitt extracted across various platforms (97-percent on Twitter) in a 24-hour span. We have been monitoring the conversation online as Pruitt landed and met with Athletic Director Phillip Fulmer.

🤜🤛 pic.twitter.com/U3haZXcLhk

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 7, 2017

Let's ride. #GBO pic.twitter.com/XLtDABQ4Q6

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 7, 2017

It’s an exciting time here in Knoxville, and Vol fans have voiced their support for the hiring decision through social media. In all, 72-percent of the posts mentioning Pruitt have been positive in nature. As you can see in the graph below, there has been a huge spike in positive mentions since the story broke.

As the news continues to develop and the staff begins to take shape, we’ll keep monitoring what social media has to say about the direction of the UT football program. But based on what we’ve seen in the last 24-hours, there’s plenty of reason for Tennessee football fans to be excited!

One million dollars in one day. That was the goal of Big Orange Give. To most, this would seem to be a daunting challenge. But most don’t have the advantage of the Volunteer Spirit.

In a 24-hour span, we were fortunate enough to watch an online conversation unfold centered around the generosity of the University of Tennessee family. Big Orange Give resulted in more than 1,000 tweets over that timeframe, as donors helped to raise more than $1.45 million in a single day.

As a Student, it is incredible to see the countless donations we have received. Thank you so Much!!! #BigOrangeGive pic.twitter.com/cxSsoolHz1

— KP Frazier (@kpfrazier1984) November 9, 2017

Students took notice of the campaign’s success, expressing their gratitude across social media. Multiple VolStarter projects were 100% funded as result of Big Orange Give, providing students across the university with opportunities for enhanced educational experiences at UT. 

The word cloud (above) provides a ‘bird’s-eye-view’ of those 1,000+ mentions of Big Orange Give on Twitter, and represents the 50 most frequently used words in the online conversation. Notice words like “thank”, “impact”, “pride”, and “future”. Of the posts coded for sentiment analysis by Salesforce Social Studio software, 99.4% were positive because the overall impact of these gifts was so significant to students, faculty, and staff across the university. 

Conversation carried on throughout the day around #BigOrangeGive. But as the online chatter wanes, we know that the impact of this campaign will be felt for years to come.

From all of us in the Adam Brown Social Media Command Center, and on behalf of the University of Tennessee family, thank you to all who donated on November 8!

#VFL