At a time when social media plays a crucial role in communication between politicians and voters, data journalism is gaining importance as a tool that allows journalists to meticulously analyze and interpret the online behavior and strategies of political actors. This article presents a case study based on an analysis of the activities of leading Czech politicians on social platforms at the end of last year. It demonstrates how data-backed insights can enrich and refine media coverage of the political scene.
Research Context
As an election period approaches, the intensity of political communication on social media significantly increases. In the Czech Republic, Facebook still holds a dominant position among users and is therefore a key channel for political promotion. Research by Carl Data Company focused on monitoring the posts of parliamentary party leaders during the last quarter of the previous year, aiming to uncover communication patterns, themes, emotions, and strategies of individual politicians.
Key Findings: Political Strategies and Emotions in the Online Space
The analysis showed that Tomio Okamura leads in the number of published posts – he released almost a thousand in three months, double that of the second most active politician, Prime Minister Petr Fiala. Okamura strategically “repurposes” his communication – repeating and disseminating the same content across platforms, which increases his reach and visibility.
Conversely, Andrej Babiš profiles himself through a combination of political themes and personal moments, such as videos from everyday life, like a visit to the hairdresser or a walk with his dog. This mix generates a high level of engagement and an emotional response from his audience.
Thematically, posts dedicated to migration, the energy crisis, the war in Ukraine, or social issues dominate, reflecting current societal priorities. It is also interesting how individual politicians prefer different topics – for example, Marian Jurečka focuses more on digitalization and artificial intelligence than Ivan Bartoš, or Petr Fiala, who was the only one to comment more significantly on the situation in Gaza.
Emotional Tone and Marketing Strategy
The data revealed that Andrej Babiš most often evokes feelings of joy and lightheartedness among his followers, while Petr Fiala strives to create an image of trustworthiness and seriousness. This differentiated emotional strategy allows each politician to target different voter segments and better adapt their content to specific platforms.
The Significance of Paid Campaigns and “Shadow” Financing
The research also mapped the frequency of paid (promoted) posts and their impact on communication reach. Tomio Okamura had the highest number of sponsored posts, followed by Petr Fiala and Andrej Babiš. Another interesting finding is that some political campaigns are not financed directly by politicians but by third parties, which complicates transparency and the traceability of funding.
The Contribution of Data Journalism for Journalists
This case study demonstrates how detailed data analysis can help journalists better understand the dynamics of political communication and identify the dominant themes, strategies, and emotional frameworks that politicians use. Thanks to this, media can offer readers deeper insight into political events, move beyond superficial reporting, and enhance the quality of news coverage.
Furthermore, it allows for the identification of trends that might otherwise remain hidden, such as the distribution of thematic priorities among individual actors or the use of paid campaigns to amplify certain messages.
Conclusion
At a time when political communication is increasingly migrating to digital platforms, integrating data journalism into editorial practice is a key tool for comprehensive and accurate reporting. Analyzing politicians’ activities on social media not only enriches content but also helps media professionals provide readers with relevant and transparent information, which is fundamental for informed public decision-making.
