Sentiment analysis of Ekşi Sözlük entries on the August 10, 2025 Balıkesir earthquake

This study examines how digital crisis communication was shaped in the context of the earthquake that occurred in Balıkesir on August 10, 2025. The dataset consists of 1,143 entries shared on the Ekşi Sözlük platform within the first week, with 1,125 entries produced predominantly in the first 24 hours. The data were analyzed using a combination of content and emotion analysis methods. Each entry was coded based on its emotional orientation as positive, negative, or neutral, and further classified into seven categories: surprise/panic, fear/anxiety, anger/disappointment, sadness/grief, disgust/irony, happiness/gratitude, and neutral. The coding process was grounded in Ekman’s basic emotions framework and supported by crisis communication literature. Findings show that fear/anxiety, neutral information sharing, and disgust/irony were the dominant themes. While fear, anxiety, and surprise were prominent in the early phase, anger, sadness, and irony increased over time. The high proportion of neutral content indicates that digital platforms function not only as spaces for emotional expression but also as key arenas for information exchange during crises. Overall, the study highlights the temporal evolution of emotions in post-disaster digital environments and contributes to crisis communication research.