The Social, Political and Economic Event Database Project (SPEED)

Description:

SPEED is a technology-intensive effort to extract event data from a global archive of news reports covering the Post WWII era. This event data is generated by human analysts using a suite of sophisticated tools to implement carefully structured and pretested protocols. These protocols are category-specific electronic documents that are tailored to the information needs of a particular category of events (civil unrest, property rights, electoral processes, etc.). In generating these event data SPEED leverages tens of billions of dollars that have been invested in compiling news reports from throughout the world.  Currently, two datasets have been produced through the SPEED Project: destabilizing event data and a coup event data. 

Source: Cline Center for Democracy

Access to event data on the SPEED Project site.
SPEED Project White Papers

Pew Research: Twitter Reaction to Events Often at Odds with Overall Public Opinion

Online Report:

The reaction on Twitter to major political events and policy decisions often differs a great deal from public opinion as measured by surveys. This is the conclusion of a year-long Pew Research Center study that compared the results of national polls to the tone of tweets in response to eight major news events, including the outcome of the presidential election, the first presidential debate and major speeches by Barack Obama.

At times the Twitter conversation is more liberal than survey responses, while at other times it is more conservative. Often it is the overall negativity that stands out. Much of the difference may have to do with both the narrow sliver of the public represented on Twitter as well as who among that slice chose to take part in any one conversation.

Source: Pew Research Center

Read online report: Twitter Reaction to Events Often at Odds with Overall Public Opinion