National

Axios Media Trends

Data: NewsWhip; Chart: Simran Parwani/Axios

The defamation trial between actors and former spouses Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has quickly amassed more online attention than some of the country's biggest and most pressing news stories, including the leaked Supreme Court decision and Russia's war in Ukraine.

Why it matters: While political America hangs on an impending Supreme Court verdict on abortion, many more eyeballs are focused on developments in the Depp-Heard trial.

Driving the news: News articles about the trial, which began April 12, have generated more total social media interactions (likes, comments, shares) than coverage about abortion and the Supreme Court or inflation, according to exclusive data from NewsWhip.

On a per-article basis, the trial has dwarfed all other major topics in the news (see chart above).

There have been double the Google searches for Amber Heard than for Elon Musk over the last month, according to Google Trends data. There have been nearly 4x more searches for her name than for abortion or the Supreme Court.

Backdrop: The trial is based on a defamation lawsuit Depp filed against Heard  after she wrote a Washington Post op-ed about domestic abuse that Depp says irreparably hurt his career. Heard has also filed a countersuit.

Each has accused the other of domestic abuse with ugly accusations being lobbed in both directions.

Zoom in: Entertainment outlets are treating the event like their Super Bowl.

"Hands down it's a record setter for us," said Rachel Stockman, president of Law&Crime network. Average daily viewership on the Law&Crime app is 50x higher than before the trial. There are around one million viewers per hour of the trial on Law&Crime's YouTube channel alone.

A simple Google search for "What time does the Amber and Johnny trial start" elicits dozens of results from premium outlets about how and when to watch the trial, a traffic engagement trick that news outlets typically use for major events, like the Super Bowl. 

Some of the world's biggest entertainment news sites are seeing massive traffic increases as a result of the trial, according to data from SimilarWeb. 

The websites for People, Us and the New York Post all saw traffic increases year-over-year for the month of April by 9%, 16% and 22%, respectively. 

Be smart: The trial has turned viral on social media, thanks to courtroom cameras capturing every moment for the public view that are then quickly turned into viral memes and clips online. 

Dozens of memes have gained huge traction online, like a viral meme of Amber Heard's crying face that has plastered TikTok, Snapchat and other social outlets, and clips of Johnny Depp passing along doodles to his lawyer in court.

The big picture: Courtroom dramas, especially those featuring celebrities, have long been a staple of the American media appetite, but this one stands out as the first major trial to go viral in the TikTok era.

"Consumption has changed for trials like this," Stockman said, referring to how different the numbers were even a year ago during Law&Crime network's coverage of the Derek Chauvin trial last June. 

"We’re seeing 10-15x the number of viewers for this trial than we normally do across platforms, but most specifically in YouTube. ... We’re seeing bigger and bigger audiences on Twitch."

Between the lines: Many of the most viral clips mock Heard, putting a pro-Depp spin on the media craze. 

The hashtag #justiceforjohnnydepp has over 10 billion views, per Wired, while the hashtag #justiceforamberheard has 39 million.

Yes, but: While much of the most viral content is meant to be funny, survivors of domestic abuse and assault aren't laughing. 

Some say the exhaustive volume of memes, clips and jokes shared online about the trial have exacerbated their trauma.

TikTok says it has removed videos that violate its policies by disparaging victims of violent tragedies.

The bottom line: Social media is its own court of public opinion, even if the evidence doesn't match the memes. 

America more interested in Depp-Heard trial than abortion

Entertainment outlets are treating the event like their Super Bowl.

Social media

Politics & Policy

Google search data shows Americans — particularly those in states most impacted by the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade —are scrambling to figure out where they can still get abortions and what the law means for future access.

Why it matters: Americans are trying to wrap their heads around what this means for the future of women's health.

On searches related to abortion, the top queries included, "is abortion illegal," "abortion ban states" and "abortion pill."

Those most actively searching were in political battlegrounds like Wisconsin, Michigan and New Hampshire — where there are no existing laws that would immediately ban or codify abortion rights, as well red states Missouri, Kentucky and Utah, where a trigger law has banned the procedure.

Top searches about the Supreme Court centered on which justices voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.

This analysis is based on Google Trends data from Friday and Saturday.

Between the lines: Searches for "abortion clinic near me" over-indexed in the Southeast, where a number of states had trigger laws on the books.

The top five states include Mississippi and Louisiana, where there were trigger laws in place, and Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina where there are not.

Searches for 'abortion pill' were highest in red states — Wyoming and Montana in the Mountain West were the top two, followed by Southeast states Louisiana, Georgia, Missouri and Arkansas.

The other side: Searches for "Planned Parenthood near me" were highest among blue states: Delaware, California, Oregon, Washington and New Jersey were the top-searching states in the aftermath of the ruling.

Overall search interest in abortion peaked at 10:56am ET on Friday, about 45 minutes after the decision was released.

What Americans are searching after Roe v. Wade reversal

The top searches for 'abortion clinic near me' were in the Southeast.

Abortion

Google search data shows Americans — particularly those in states most impacted by the Supreme Court&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="decision to overturn Roe v. Wade" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/24/roe-wade-decision-abortion" data-vars-content-id="6e946409-c5bc-46b2-98c2-9496ffbfea61" data-vars-headline="What Americans are searching after Roe v. Wade reversal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/24/roe-wade-decision-abortion" target="_self">decision to overturn Roe v. Wade</a> —are scrambling to figure out <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="where they can still get abortions" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2021/10/31/roe-v-wade-repeal-supreme-court-texas-mississippi" data-vars-content-id="6e946409-c5bc-46b2-98c2-9496ffbfea61" data-vars-headline="What Americans are searching after Roe v. Wade reversal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2021/10/31/roe-v-wade-repeal-supreme-court-texas-mississippi" target="_self">where they can still get abortions</a> and what the law means for future access.Why it matters: Americans are trying to wrap their heads around what this means for the future of women&#x27;s health.

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

Note: Includes incidents in Uvalde, Texas (2022); Buffalo, N.Y. (2022); San Jose, Calif. (2021); Boulder, Colo. (2021); Virginia Beach, Va. (2019); Parkland, Fla. (2018); Thousand Oaks, Calif. (2018); and Pittsburgh, Pa. (2018). Incidents in Buffalo and Uvalde happened less than 20 days ago; data used is most recent available. Data: Newswhip; Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios

The shooting massacre in Uvalde garnered huge attention on social media in the immediate aftermath of the attack, but it's unclear how long that focus will last. 

Why it matters: The attention to the attack shows the country isn't numb to shooting tragedies — it's overwhelmed by them.

Details: Data provided exclusively to Axios by NewsWhip shows a public surge of interest in the immediate aftermath, peaking above even the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

The interest, measured in social media interactions (likes, shares, comments) on news articles following Parkland, however, was sustained for a much longer period of time, as students who survived the shooting became vocal gun control activists.

The Uvalde tragedy, occurring just 10 days after the deadly shooting in Buffalo, New York, came as Americans were already trying to process another shooting tragedy, and provided momentum for a growing debate around gun control and extremism.

The big picture: School shootings have been able to spark debate around gun violence more than other kinds of mass shootings.

The highest level of interest in "guns" in the past five years came after the Parkland shooting, according to Google Trends data.

Since 2004 — the earliest Google Trends data is available — the biggest spike for discussion about "guns" came following the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting.

Engagement with the Uvalde story initially soared in the days following the shooting, as people eagerly scrambled to learn more about what happened. 

Conflicting reports from law enforcement officials created an even bigger information vacuum that the public was desperate to fill, said Caroline Orr Bueno, a behavioral scientist who focuses on social media manipulation. 

"On numerous occasions, there were multiple different stories being told by different officials — for example, we were told both that the gunman had barricaded himself in the classroom, and that police had 'contained' him in a classroom," she said. 

"[O]nce the acute crisis is over, we usually expect to see much more reliable information that doesn’t continue to change," Orr Bueno noted. "But after the Uvalde shooting, that didn’t happen."

Between the lines: The unrelenting pace of mass shooting events in the U.S. has made it harder for a single event to rally the country's attention.

Gun control issues broadly tend to supplant attention to a single story in the aftermath of major attacks. But attention to that debate also tends to fade as the political news cycle shifts in response to other breaking news events. 

Zoom in: The two stories about the Uvalde shooting that online readers engaged with most chronicled the breaking news about the shooting and the number of deaths.

Five of the top 10 stories covered the heart attack death of a grieving husband of one of the slain Robb Elementary teachers.

What to watch:  It's unclear whether engagement with the Uvalde story will increase again as the story evolves.

In the case of Parkland, social media engagement began to increase later around the story when student survivors began to speak out publicly in favor of gun control. 

Methodology: The chart is based on data from NewsWhip, exclusively provided to Axios, that shows how much social media engagement stories about select shootings received in the 20 days following each shooting incident. 

Because the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings happened so recently, data for the shootings only reflects 16 and 7 days out from those incidents, respectively.

Dallas

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Dallas. Written by Michael Mooney and Tasha Tsiperas.

Axios Dallas

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Uvalde tragedy captures America's fleeting attention

The country isn't numb to shooting tragedies — it's overwhelmed by them.

Uvalde, Texas school shooting

A chart showing online engagement for each day after select U.S. mass shooting incidents.

The shooting massacre in Uvalde garnered huge attention on social media in the immediate aftermath of the attack, but it&#x27;s unclear how long that focus will last. Why it matters: The attention to the attack shows the country isn&#x27;t numb to shooting tragedies — it&#x27;s overwhelmed by them.

Ukraine is entering the next 100 days of the war without the same online attention it had going into the first 100, according to NewsWhip data exclusively provided to Axios.

Why it matters: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios' Jonathan Swan last week that global attention has been crucial for Ukraine, but he worries people will get "fed up" and "cynical" and "wants something new." As attention wanes, so will the pressure on world leaders to help Ukraine and punish Russia.

"To the people of the United States, do not get used to this war. ... Otherwise, we are risking a never-ending war ... Don't get used to our pain."

Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska to ABC News

By the numbers: There has been a 22-fold decrease in social media interactions (likes, comments, shares) on news articles published about Ukraine between the first week of the war and the most recent week: from 109 million to 4.8 million.

That trend is reflected in the volume of online media coverage, which has steadily decreased from 520k articles in the first week, down to 70k most recently.

Over a 6-week span in April and May, there was about 6x more interest in stories about Johnny Depp and Amber Heard than about Ukraine, per NewsWhip's data.

State of play: Ukraine is still lobbying for help in its war effort, and it's still being provided, though not as quickly as Zelensky would like.

President Biden announced this week that the U.S. will provide long-range missile systems.

The EU agreed this week to ban most Russian oil imports.

The latest: Zelensky is still making the rounds pleading his case to the world, including directly to younger people who can bring the cause to life on social media.

World looks elsewhere as Ukraine war hits 100 days

"To the people of the United States, do not get used to this war."

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Russia

Ukraine is entering the next 100 days of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="war" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/02/22/russia-ukraine-invasion-putin-live-updates" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/02/22/russia-ukraine-invasion-putin-live-updates" target="_self">war</a> without the same online attention it had going into the first 100, according to NewsWhip data exclusively provided to Axios.Why it matters: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="told Axios&#x27; Jonathan Swan" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/23/zelensky-ukraine-russia-interview-us-support" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/23/zelensky-ukraine-russia-interview-us-support" target="_self">told Axios&#x27; Jonathan Swan</a> last week that global attention has been crucial for Ukraine, but he worries people will get &quot;fed up&quot; and &quot;cynical&quot; and &quot;wants something new.&quot; As attention wanes, so will the pressure on world leaders to help Ukraine and punish Russia.

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

Data: Nielsen; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios 

The Trump era drew many eyeballs around a slew of high-drama political hearings, but last week's Jan. 6 hearing has nearly topped them all.

The big picture: The Jan. 6 committee tried hard to grab America's fleeting attention by holding the hearing in prime time and by enlisting a former network news executive in the production.

Be smart: The Jan. 6 committee has a much higher degree of control about what gets presented than in other high-profile hearings: It can selectively choose who speaks and when information gets presented for maximum impact.

But that impact may have been undercut by leaks of some of the committee's most explosive material.

By the numbers: The hearing last week nearly doubled the TV audience of the first three games of the ongoing NBA Finals, which averaged nearly 12 million viewers on ABC, per Nielsen.

Major Trump-era hearings also drew high engagement compared to other national TV events. The final games of the 2021 World Series and the NBA finals drew 11.7 million and 9.91 million viewers, respectively, while the Brett Kavanaugh and James Comey hearings drew around 20 million viewers each.

The Academy Awards, Grammys, Emmys and Golden Globes all drew fewer than 10 million viewers in 2021. Even the Olympics opening ceremonies drew just 15.1 and 14 million viewers in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

The latest: Most major news and broadcast networks took Monday's hearing live on Monday morning, including Fox News, which didn't carry it live last week. (It instead carried it live on its sister network Fox Business.)

Still, it's unlikely those broadcasts drew the same level of engagement as the highly anticipated prime-time event last week. Ratings for Monday's hearing are due out later on Tuesday.

Hearings become political theater

The Jan. 6 committee went all in on drawing attention.

Jan. 6 select committee

The Trump era drew many eyeballs around a slew of high-drama political hearings, but last week&#x27;s Jan. 6 hearing has nearly topped them all.The big picture: The Jan. 6 committee tried hard to grab <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="America&#x27;s fleeting attention " data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/31/uvalde-texas-shooting-attention-parkland" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/31/uvalde-texas-shooting-attention-parkland" target="_self">America&#x27;s fleeting attention </a>by holding the hearing in prime time and by <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="enlisting a former network news executive" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/06/jan-6-committee-adviser-james-goldston" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/06/jan-6-committee-adviser-james-goldston" target="_self">enlisting a former network news executive</a> in the production.

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Stories

What Americans are searching after Roe v. Wade reversal

Hearings become political theater

World looks elsewhere as Ukraine war hits 100 days

Uvalde tragedy captures America's fleeting attention

America more interested in Depp-Heard trial than abortion