Olympics May Be Over, But Phelps and Bolt Continue to Attract the Spotlight

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

Beijing’s Olympic Closing Ceremony is over, the Olympic torch has been extinguished and the countdown to the 2012 Olympic Games in London has begun. But some of the biggest names from the Beijing Games continue to generate media coverage. After eight gold medals and seven world records in eight events, it’s no surprise that U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps continued as the most-mentioned athlete among those being tracked by Dow Jones Insight in social media sources (blogs and boards). Of 7,907 total mentions in social media sources between August 26 and September 8, Phelps had 4,620, or 58% of the top 10 athletes tracked. Much of this coverage concerned Phelps’ appearances after the Games – including his stint as a presenter at the MTV Video Music Awards – and confirms his arrival as a full-fledged celebrity.

In a distant second to Phelps in social media sources was triple gold medalist Usain Bolt of Jamaica, who had 1,183 mentions, for 15%. U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson, who won a silver medal in the women’s all-around competition, followed Bolt with 501 mentions, for 6%. Her teammate Nastia Liukin, who won the all-around gold medal, and beach volleyball gold medalist Misty May-Treanor each had 5% of mentions. U.S. swimmer Dara Torres, who made history when she made the team at the age of 41, had 231 mentions, for 3%. Chinese basketball star Yao Ming, U.S. gymnast Paul Hamm and British cyclist Chris Hoy each had 2% of mentions. Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang, whose withdrawal due to injury led to a national outpouring of disappointment, rounded out the top 10 with 109 mentions, for 1%.

Phelps and Bolt swapped positions in traditional media sources (print and online). Of 11,277 total mentions in traditional media sources, Bolt had 3,863, for 34%. Phelps was a close second with 3,496 mentions, for 31%. Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell was third, with 829 mentions, for 7%. Hoy had 690 mentions, for 6%. Liukin, May and British swimmer Rebecca Adlington, who won two gold medals, each had 4% of mentions. Torres, Johnson and American sprinter Tyson Gay, who failed to qualify for the finals of the men’s 100 meters, rounded out the top 10 with 3% of mentions each.

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.

Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Visa Lead Post-Games Coverage of Olympic Sponsors

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

Although the Beijing Olympic Games had 12 global sponsors, three sponsors led coverage in traditional and social media sources in analyses before, during and, now, after the Games. Those three – Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Visa – combined to garner 65% of coverage in both traditional and social media during the period of August 26 to September 8.

Coca-Cola had 158 of the 565 total mentions in social media sources analyzed by Dow Jones Insight, for 28%. McDonald’s was second with 135 mentions, for 24%, and Visa was third with 73 mentions, for 13%. Of the 768 total mentions in traditional media sources, Coca-Cola had 209 mentions, for 27%, Visa had 158 mentions, for 21%, and McDonald’s had 129 mentions, for 17%. In the weeks leading up to the Games, a significant amount of coverage of these three sponsors was negative, focusing on their implied complicity in China’s poor human rights record. Once the Games started, however, coverage of these companies softened somewhat, focusing instead on their presence in Beijing, their commemorative merchandise and their feel-good ads.

In social media sources, GE was fourth with 53 mentions, for 9%. Samsung had 44 mentions, for 8%. Lenovo, the only Chinese company among the global sponsors, and Panasonic each had 5% of mentions. Omega and Johnson & Johnson each had 3% and Kodak had 2%. French IT company Atos Origin and Canadian financial services company Manulife failed to make the top 10.

In traditional media sources, General Electric had 66 mentions, for 9%. Samsung had 60 mentions, for 8%, and Lenovo had 54 mentions, for 7%. Omega and Johnson & Johnson each had 4% of mentions. Atos Origin and Kodak rounded out the top 10, each with 2% of mentions. Panasonic and Manulife did not crack the top 10 in traditional media sources.

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.

After Games Wind Down, So Does Coverage of Issues

By Dow Jones Insight Staff

In the weeks leading up to the Beijing Olympic Games, the excitement of the Games was tempered by news coverage of a number of issues that cast the host city, and China, in a negative light. The traditional relay of the Olympic torch drew protests from people who objected to China’s less-than-stellar human rights record and its relationship with Tibet. There were questions about Beijing’s air quality and its possible effects on the athletes’ health and performance. Coverage of environmental issues peaked with the government’s efforts to clean up the air in Beijing and the enormous algae bloom at the sailing venue. There were also concerns about the government’s efforts to hinder the media in its access to information and its ability to freely report on the events. And, like other recent Games, the Beijing Games were taking place under the specter of performance-enhancing drug use.

Since the Closing Ceremonies, however, coverage of these issues has declined significantly. During the period of August 26 to September 7, there were a total of 3,800 mentions in social and traditional media sources analyzed by Dow Jones Insight of issues relating to human rights, the environment, Tibet, media freedom, athlete health and doping. The most-mentioned issue, human rights, declined from 255 mentions on August 26 to 51 mentions on September 5 (data were analyzed to September 5, since September 6-7 was a weekend, when all coverage tends to be lower). Mentions of China’s relationship with Tibet decreased from 147 to 20 during that period. Mentions of media freedom went from 131 on August 26 to 67 on September 5.

Mentions of the environment declined from 121 on August 26, but spiked back up to 92 on September 1. This increase in coverage was driven by stories about Beijing’s improved air quality. The government’s attempts to improve Beijing’s air quality, including restricting driving based on an odd-even license plate schedule, were so successful that the city’s air quality was the best it had been in about 10 years. These improvements were so successful that some Beijing residents are calling for the driving restrictions to be extended in an effort to keep the air clean. Following coverage of these stories, mentions of the environment declined again to 28 on September 5.

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.