Mapping the Global Election Landscape on Social Media in 2024

TL;DR

This paper analyzes social media data from Facebook during the 2024 elections across multiple countries to understand how political topics influence public engagement and shape digital narratives.

Contribution

It introduces a methodology combining topic modeling and PCA to identify key themes and engagement patterns in social media during a major electoral cycle.

Findings

Identifies dominant political themes across different countries.

Reveals how topics resonate differently across political spectrums.

Provides insights into the relationship between media content and public opinion.

Abstract

In 2024, half of the global population is expected to participate in elections, offering researchers a unique opportunity to study online information diffusion and user behavior. This study investigates the media landscape on social media by analyzing Facebook posts from national political parties and major news agencies across Europe, Mexico, and India. Our methodology identifies key topics and evaluates public interaction, reflecting broader trends in political engagement. Using Principal Component Analysis, we distil these topics to uncover patterns of correlation and differentiation. This approach reveals dominant themes that engage global audiences, providing critical insights into the interplay between public opinion and digital narratives during a major electoral cycle. Our findings highlight how different topics resonate across political spectrums, shaping political debate and offering a comprehensive view of the interaction between media content, political ideology, and audience engagement.