New Data from Futuri's TopicPulse Reveals What Midterms-Related Issues Are Getting the Highest Audience Engagement in Key Battleground States

News provided by

Nov 04, 2022, 08:40 ET

TopicPulse AI-driven story discovery system finds engagement on stories about the economy high in all battleground states, while political messaging around retirement and civil rights finds limited traction.

CLEVELAND, Nov. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Technology firm Futuri, whose AI-driven story discovery and social content system, TopicPulse, is used by thousands of media professionals who seek real-time data on the stories their audiences most engage with, today released an overview of the top issues engaging American audiences in advance of the November 8 Midterm elections — and the issues where volume of news coverage outranks engagement.

TopicPulse, which scans Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and 250,000+ other sources of news and information to deliver insights on the stories that most engage specific demographics, compiled data on volume of news coverage vs. engagement on those topics, as measured by social engagement for the period October 1 - 31, 2022. The data looked at the following battleground states:

Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

When comparing volume of news coverage to actual engagement, TopicPulse found:

Topics and keywords related to midterms most associated with viral growth on social media in October: prices, inflation, gas, oil reserves, abortion (Roe), crime, Russia and Ukraine aid, parents/schools.
Stories on the economy rank highest on TopicPulse's engagement index in every battleground state except Ohio, where they're #2 to stories about social/civil rights issues; Arizona, where they're #3 to stories about climate change (#1) and issues related to retirement (#2); and New Hampshire, where they're #3 behind abortion rights (#1) and climate change (#2).
The battleground states where abortion rates saw the most engagement are Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Michigan, respectively.
Ohio is the only state where social/civil rights issues topped the list of most engaging stories. That issue ranked #2 in North Carolina and Georgia and #3 in Michigan.
Not one of the key battleground states showed engagement that mimics national trends across the board, pointing to the importance of tailored insights in each market for maximum engagement.

Across the board, the most viral topics related to the Midterm elections rank as such:

Prices
Inflation
Gas
Oil reserves
Abortion and Roe v. Wade-related issues
Crime
Russia and Ukraine
Parental Rights, Education, Curriculum

The top issues by state include:

Arizona

Economy
Retirement
Climate change

Georgia

Economy
Social/civil rights issues
Abortion rights

Michigan

Economy
Abortion rights
Social/civil rights issues

New Hampshire

Economy
Abortion rights
Climate change

North Carolina

Economy
Social/civil rights issues
Retirement

Ohio

Social/civil rights issues
Economy
Climate change

Pennsylvania

Economy
Abortion rights
Social/civil rights issues

Wisconsin

Economy
Abortion rights
Social/civil rights issues

Additionally, TopicPulse measured frequency of mentions of specific political figures and found:

Most common names associated with "inflation" on social media are Joe Biden and Jerome Powell.
For every 3 mentions of Joe Biden in news media and social posts, there is 1 mention of Donald Trump.
For every 6 mentions of Joe Biden in news media and social posts, there is 1 mention of Barack Obama and 1 mention of Kamala Harris.
There are 6 mentions of Ron DeSantis for every 1 mention of Charlie Crist.
Between November 1-3, the most 'shared' names on social media are Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Paul Pelosi, Raphael Warnock, Herschel Walker, Kari Lake, Greg Abbott, John Fetterman, Hillary Clinton, Mehmet Oz, Ron DeSantis, Kevin McCarthy, Stacy Abrams, Katie Hobbs, Mandela Barnes, and Blake Masters.

Users of TopicPulse have access to real-time insights on stories related to politics and the Midterms in their user dashboard under Shortcuts. For more information on TopicPulse, visit FuturiMedia.com/TopicPulse.

About Futuri

Futuri is the leading provider of cloud-based audience engagement and sales intelligence software for broadcasters and digital publishers. Brands rely on Futuri solutions to make their content more relevant, accessible, engaging, and results-driven. Founded in 2009, Futuri holds 14 published or pending patents in 151 countries. Named to the Inc. 5000 List of America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies for eight consecutive years, Futuri is known for helping media companies grow their revenue, audience, and content.

For more information:

Zena Burns | [email protected] | 216.236.9020

SOURCE Futuri