Cross-Platform Topic Analysis: Identifying Trends and Divergences in Social Media Discourse

This study carried out an extensive cross-platform analysis of social media discussions related to the Black Lives Matter Movement of 2020.By employing an advanced BERTopic architecture enhanced with RoBERTa based pretrained word embedding’s, key trends and divergences were identified in discussions across Twitter, YouTube, and online news media. The analysis uncovered distinct thematic focuses: Twitter and YouTube prominently highlighted grassroots activism and real-time reactions to events, such as the George Floyd protests, with an emphasis on emotional and personal narratives. In contrast, online news media provided a more structured examination, offering in-depth reporting and objective analysis of the movement’s broader implications. The results revealed significant variations in tone, depth of analysis, and content focus. Twitter and YouTube were characterized by immediate, emotionally charged content and community-driven engagement, whereas news media focused on comprehensive coverage and factual reporting. This cross-platform comparison underscores the diverse roles these media play in shaping public discourse and highlights the importance of engaging with multiple sources for a well-rounded understanding of social justice issues. The study’s findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how different platforms influence and reflect public sentiment and advocacy related to social justice movements.