PEJ New Media Index: Social Media Join the Anti-TSA Movement

Report Read time:
PEJ New Media Index: Social Media Join the Anti-TSA Movement

Anger and frustration over the new TSA airport security measures boiled over in the social media last week. And while much of the mainstream press reported or commented on that rage, those in the online community embodied those sentiments.

And, in a rare case of news agenda unity, heavy interest in the new measures cut across all three social media platforms studied in the New Media Index from the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism. For the week of November 22-26, more than half (54%) the news links on blogs were about the security measures, making it the No. 1 subject.

They were also the fourth largest topic on Twitter with 9% of the links. And on YouTube, the new procedures were the subject of the second most popular news video as viewers gravitated to an element of comedic relief produced by a Taiwanese company.

Twitterers mainly drew attention to one specific incident concerning a cancer survivor whose urostomy bag ruptured during a TSA pat-down. Links to the story were often accompanied by words of empathy like Emi Lani Lee's, "Feel bad for him," and Billy Shih's, "I'm getting real tired of the TSA." 

In the arena with the most discussion, the majority of bloggers emphatically agreed with-and even went beyond-two Washington Post columnists, Charles Krauthammer and George Will, who came out strongly against the airport security measures. 

Read the full report Social Media Join the Anti-TSA Movement on the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism Web site.

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up

MORE FROM PEW

A scuba diver wearing a black full-body wetsuit and a pale-yellow air tank glides through fairly clear, shallow waters above an expansive bed of seagrasses. The diver is holding a thin line that extends toward the surface, and silhouettes of some small fish are visible in the background. How Maps Inform Climate and Conservation Decisions
Three men in baseball caps, visible only from above, are examining dead swordfish—silvery in color and laid out on a concrete floor with their signature swords cut off. There are about a dozen fish on the floor, each about four to five feet long. Japan Poised to Lead on Fisheries Oversight in Pacific
High angle aerial view of Indianapolis and the White River park How States Are Boosting Broadband with Pandemic Funds
A close-up of a dark-brown-skinned woman’s hand holding a cellphone. She wears a beaded bracelet and is sitting beside a brick wall and a window. Most U.S. Adults Remain Unaware of 988 Crisis Lifeline
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?