The reaction on Twitter to major political events and policy decisions often differs a great deal from public opinion as measured by surveys. This is the conclusion of a year-long Pew Research Center study that compared the results of national polls to the tone of tweets in response to eight major news events, including the outcome of the presidential election, the first presidential debate and major speeches by Barack Obama.

Twitter Reaction to Events Often at Odds with Overall Public Opinion | Pew Research Center

Also, from the report released today: “At times the Twitter conversation is more liberal than survey responses, while at other times it is more conservative. Often it is the overall negativity that stands out.”

So, Twitter’s collective consciousness is neither liberal nor conservative… just angry?


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