Phelps Dominates Coverage in Traditional and Social Media Sources

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

Following the spectacular Opening Ceremonies, the Beijing Olympic Games are officially under way and it’s time for the athletes to take center stage. And leading the way, as he has in much of the pre-Olympic coverage, is U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps. With two gold medals – and one world record – down, and six more to go, Phelps was the most-mentioned athlete among those being tracked by Dow Jones Insight in both traditional (print and online) and social (blogs and boards) media sources. Of 11,131 total mentions in traditional media sources between July 28 and August 10, Phelps had 2,904, or 26% of those athletes tracked. His percentage of social media mentions was even larger. Of the 2,149 total mentions of athletes during the same time period, Phelps had 796, or 37%. In second, behind Phelps in both traditional and social media sources, was Chinese superstar Yao Ming. Yao had 1,764 mentions, or 16%, in traditional media and 372 mentions, or 17%, in social media.

Australian swimmer Grant Hackett was third in traditional media mentions, with 1,182, or 11% of those tracked. U.S. gymnast Paul Hamm and U.S. swimmer Dara Torres followed Hackett, each with 8% of mentions in traditional media. American Tyson Gay and Jamaican Asafa Powell, who are expected to battle each other and world-record holder Usain Bolt for the gold in the men’s 100 meters, followed with 806 and 741 mentions, respectively. Rounding out the top 10 athletes were Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang, with 677 mentions, or 6%, Australian swimmer Libby Lenton, with 631 mentions, or 6%, and British marathoner Paula Radcliffe, with 581 mentions, or 5%.

In social media sources, Hamm was third behind Phelps and Yao, with 239 mentions, or 11%. Torres was fourth, with 215 mentions for 10%. Gay, Liu Xiang and U.S. women’s gymnast Shawn Johnson each had 5% of the total mentions. Rounding out the top 10 were Radcliffe, Powell and U.S. women’s gymnast Nastia Liukin, each with 3% of the total mentions.

Methodology: Analysis includes the English-language sources taken from a database of 6,000 newspapers, wires, magazines, radio and TV transcripts; about 13,000 current-awareness news sites; 60,000 message boards and about two million blogs.