The level of readers’ social media engagement on stories about impeachment has steeply declined since September, according to NewsWhip data provided to Axios’ Neal Rothschild.
- Why it matters: While plenty of attention is being paid to impeachment, it doesn’t draw the same online emotion and enthusiasm that it did when House Democrats announced their probe.
Of the 10 biggest stories about impeachment since Sept. 16 — as measured by interactions, such as likes, comments, shares — none has come since Nov. 15.
- Of the top 30 stories, only four have come since Nov. 15.
Public interest peaked when the case against Trump was building, with news cycles driven by revelations about Trump, Ukraine and the cast of characters.
- After two weeks of public testimony in mid-November, the national conversation shifted from the accumulation of evidence to debate over whether that evidence was sufficient for impeachment and conviction.
- That shift highlights a key dynamic: New facts drive debate. But in this era of extreme polarization, arguments fall into predictable patterns, with each side shutting the other out.
The top news articles about impeachment, by interactions, per NewsWhip data:
- “House Democrats Now Have Enough Votes To Impeach Donald Trump” (Politicus USA): 2.45 million interactions
- “Franklin Graham calls on nation to pray for Trump as impeachment effort gains speed” (WashTimes): 1.55 million
- “Adam Schiff is wasting the nation’s time with impeachment hearings (N.Y. Post editorial): 1.5 million
- “Pelosi announces impeachment inquiry, says Trump’s courting of foreign political help is a ‘betrayal of national security'” (WashPost): 1.07 million
- “Nancy Pelosi announces formal impeachment inquiry of Trump” (NBC News) — 744,000
The bottom line: While interest builds when the news cycle heats up and more stories are written, average interactions have been on a sustained decline.
