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Sentiment Analysis

What Would Change If You Knew What People Really Feel? The Power of Sentiment Analysis

Stay ahead of the game with sentiment analysis on the Event Registry platform. From politics to the stock market, real-time sentiment data helps you monitor public opinion, make data-driven decisions, and adjust strategies on the fly. Explore how our tools can revolutionize your approach.

Jacob Kappus

• 5 min read
What Would Change If You Knew What People Really Feel? The Power of Sentiment Analysis

Imagine knowing, in real time, what people really think about politics, laws, environmental campaigns, stock market trends, or even defense initiatives. From politicians gauging public opinion on policy reforms to hedge funds tracking market sentiment, sentiment analysis has become an indispensable tool for anyone looking to stay ahead of the curve. Whether you’re launching a new product, monitoring global events, or managing a PR campaign, knowing how people feel helps you plan your next move strategically.

In today’s unpredictable world, sentiment can shift in an instant. You might release something you think is great, but it spirals into a backlash for unforeseen reasons. That’s where sentiment analysis steps in—by tracking public mood and predicting potential pitfalls, you can navigate the complexities of public opinion and adjust your strategy in real time. Organizations and businesses across industries are all leveraging this power to stay prepared and strategize better.

What is Sentiment Analysis?

Sentiment analysis is like a mood detector for words. It’s a process that uses AI and machine learning to determine whether the tone of a piece of content (like a news article, social media post, or press release) is positive, neutral, or negative. It’s a powerful tool for industries that need to track how the public reacts to key topics—be it policies, financial trends, environmental initiatives, or national security.

In today’s world, where news and opinions spread at lightning speed, sentiment analysis helps businesses, governments, and organizations understand public sentiment so they can respond effectively and make data-driven decisions.

In a 30-day analysis leading up to the blog's publication, sentiment data reveals intriguing insights into public perception of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. While Trump garnered more mentions overall, with a total of 257,158 compared to Harris's 211,143, the sentiment surrounding him skews slightly more negative. Kamala Harris saw a more balanced mix, with 84,546 positive mentions and 43,015 negative mentions, while Trump had 95,173 positive mentions and a noticeably higher 61,129 negative mentions. The neutral sentiment led for both, but Trump’s higher count of negative mentions and a slightly greater share of "very negative" sentiment underscores the polarized nature of his media presence. This comparison showcases the nuances in public sentiment, with Harris's coverage being more evenly split, while Trump, despite greater overall attention, faces a tougher media landscape with more critical responses.

How Does It Work?

At Event Registry, we use VADER (Valence Aware Dictionary and sEntiment Reasoner) for sentiment analysis. Sounds fancy, right? But VADER is actually a straightforward, rule-based tool designed to pick up on the emotions in media content. After trying out a bunch of different sentiment analysis tools, we found VADER to be hands down the best for analyzing media, making it our go-to choice.

The system assigns an overall sentiment score to each article, ranging from -1 (very negative) to +1 (very positive), providing a quick snapshot of the article's tone. For example, in an article about defense policy changes, sentiment analysis could show that 65% of the content is neutral, 25% is positive, and 10% is negative.

Keep in mind that sentiment analysis currently only works on documents written in English.

Real-Life Applications of Sentiment Analysis

Political Campaigns and Policies: When a government is about to introduce a new policy, public opinion can make or break its success. By analyzing news articles and public commentary, sentiment analysis helps politicians gauge how people feel about proposed laws or changes. For instance, during elections, tracking public sentiment on key issues like climate change or national security can guide campaign strategy.

Defense and National Security: In defense, sentiment analysis helps monitor how media outlets and the public perceive military actions or policies. Whether it's tracking the global reaction to a military deployment or gauging public sentiment towards defense spending, sentiment analysis offers crucial insights for national security strategists. Defense organizations can use this data to adapt their public relations strategies, address concerns, or identify potential areas of unrest or opposition.

Stock Market and Financial Analysis: The stock market isn’t just about numbers; it’s also about emotions. A sudden shift in sentiment can cause market movements that traditional analysis might miss. Financial analysts and hedge funds use sentiment analysis to track news around certain stocks or industries, allowing them to act quickly and make smarter investment decisions. Remember the GameStop stock saga? Sentiment analysis could have predicted that emotional frenzy, helping investors navigate the chaos.

Media Monitoring and Corporate Reputation: Big corporations rely on sentiment analysis to monitor their brand reputation. Imagine a major oil company following the launch of a new sustainability initiative. They’ll want to know how people, media outlets, and environmentalists are reacting. Sentiment analysis helps them track the buzz and respond accordingly—whether that means capitalizing on positive press or mitigating the impact of negative coverage.

Environmental Campaigns and NGOs: For activists and organizations driving environmental causes, knowing how the public feels is crucial. NGOs and environmental organizations can track sentiment around climate change policies, deforestation campaigns, or green energy initiatives. This information enables them to adjust their messaging and take timely action based on how people are engaging with the topic.

Event Registry makes all of this possible by providing sentiment data in real-time, allowing everyone to quickly adjust their strategies.

The shift in sentiment surrounding immigration between 2014 and 2016 can be closely tied to significant global events and changing political climates. In 2014, much of the world was grappling with the early stages of the refugee crisis, particularly in Europe, driven by conflict in Syria and other regions. The high negative sentiment (92.58%) reflects the overwhelming uncertainty and tension that accompanied these early discussions on immigration. By 2015, the refugee crisis had escalated dramatically, with images of refugees, such as the tragic photo of a young boy on a Turkish beach, flooding global media. This year saw a shift, with 17.25% of mentions turning neutral and 15.73% positive, as empathy and humanitarian responses gained traction. While fear and political pushback persisted, the conversation became more multifaceted, reflecting efforts by some governments and organizations to respond compassionately. In 2016, political responses hardened in many countries, particularly with the rise of right-wing populist movements in Europe and the U.S., where immigration was a key issue in the U.S. presidential election. While the negative sentiment remained significant at 49.05%, a notable 33.08% of mentions were positive, as immigration policies and human rights debates became central to public discourse. This year marked a more balanced and polarizing discussion as the world debated how to address the complexities of global migration.

Searching by Sentiment – The Event Registry Advantage

Event Registry goes beyond just analyzing sentiment—it allows you to search for articles based on sentiment. Want to see only positive news about renewable energy from the last month? Set your sentiment score filter between 0.5 and 1.0, and you'll get the feel-good stories you’re looking for. If you’re monitoring negative press surrounding a competitor or defense policy, simply set the filter between -1.0 and -0.5 to get all the articles you need.

From monitoring market sentiment in real-time to analyzing public opinion on global events, defense policies, or environmental campaigns, Event Registry helps you make informed, strategic decisions by delivering powerful sentiment insights.

In Conclusion

Sentiment analysis is more than just a tool—it’s a game-changer in today’s fast-moving world. Whether you’re in politics, defense, finance, or corporate communications, being able to read the emotional pulse of the public helps you stay ahead of the game. With Event Registry, you can track sentiment in real time and use that data to steer your strategy, anticipate challenges, and capitalize on opportunities.

So, what could you achieve if you knew exactly how people felt about your policies, strategies, or your next big move? Let sentiment analysis show you the way.

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