Twitter conversation about the Flint water crisis took off in 2016
Total number of Twitter posts about the Flint water crisis per week across the U.S.
Jan 16
President Obama declares state of emergency and offers $5M in aid
450K posts
400K
Mar 6
Democratic
presidential candidates
hold a debate in Flint
350K
Jan 4–5
State of emergency declared in Genesee County and Michigan
300K
250K
May 4
Obama addresses Flint
200K
150K
100K
50K
0
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
J
F
M
A
M
J
2014
2015
2016
Note: Data include all publicly available tweets from this period that contain the terms “Flint” and “water.”
Source: Pew Research Center analysis using Crimson Hexagon technology for Jan. 5, 2014–July 2, 2016.
“Searching for News: The Flint Water Crisis”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Twitter conversation about the Flint water crisis took off in 2016
Total number of Twitter posts about the Flint water crisis per week across the U.S.
Jan 16
President Obama declares state of emergency and offers $5M in aid
450K posts
Mar 6
Democratic
presidential
candidates
hold a debate
in Flint
400K
350K
Jan 4–5
State of emergency declared in Genesee County and Michigan
300K
May 4
Obama addresses Flint
250K
200K
150K
100K
50K
0
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
J
F
M
A
M
J
2014
2015
2016
Note: Data include all publicly available tweets from this period that contain the terms “Flint” and “water.”
Source: Pew Research Center analysis using Crimson Hexagon technology for Jan. 5, 2014–July 2, 2016.
“Searching for News: The Flint Water Crisis”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Twitter conversation about the Flint water crisis took off in 2016
Total number of Twitter posts about the Flint water crisis per week across the U.S.
A
B
450K posts
400K
350K
300K
C
250K
200K
D
150K
100K
50K
0
2014
2015
2016
A
Jan 4–5 State of emergency declared in Genesee County and Michigan
Jan 16 President Obama declares state of emergency and offers $5M in aid
B
Mar 6 Democratic presidential candidates hold a debate in Flint
C
May 4 Obama addresses Flint
D
Note: Data include all publicly available tweets from this period that contain the terms “Flint” and “water.”
Source: Pew Research Center analysis using Crimson Hexagon technology for Jan. 5, 2014–July 2, 2016.
“Searching for News: The Flint Water Crisis”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
