While election polls may seem like the best source of truth they face many challenges. Polls represent the opinions of the sample group that was interviewed and this population may or may not represent the population makeup of the greater U.S. Or, like people frequently do, respondents may change their preferences for a certain candidate between the time of the survey and election day. How can we get better insights into public opinion?
What other information sources can we analyze to help understand the current political landscape? We used our News API to fill in the information gaps by gathering news articles about Vice President Harris and analyzing them for sentiment and topics.
The value of state-specific insights
There are 36 million registered Latino voters in the U.S. This population is diverse in culture and political opinions. Latino voters view the Democratic party only slightly more favorably than the Republican party. Both Harris and Trump have the chance to understand and work towards win positive sentiment of 15 percent of the voting population.
We can dive deeper into specific populations within key swing states where the election outcome is uncertain. Gaining the support of these states is critical for achieving the electoral vote majority needed for the presidency. Candidates should focus on issues that are important to 22 or 25 percent of the population and market themselves to voters in Arizona and Nevada.
| State | Electoral vote | Percent of eligible voters who are Latino |
| Nevada | 6 | 25% |
| Arizona | 11 | 22% |
| Georgia | 16 | 6% |
| North Carolina | 16 | 6% |
| Pennsylvania | 19 | 6% |
| Wisconsin | 10 | 5% |
| Michigan | 15 | 4% |
A recent poll in Arizona puts Trump ahead of Harris by 1%; 45.4% of respondents voted in favor of Trump while Harris received 44.3% of the vote. As you can see, it’s a close race and extra information could provide an edge.
Our secret weapon: the news API
By aggregating and examining news articles, a news API complements poll data, providing real-time insights into public opinion and filling in informational gaps. Using Webz’s News API, I was able to research news articles in English and Spanish to analyze the topics discussed and sentiment in conjunction with Kamala Harris
While the news in both languages covered similar topics there were different points of interest and nuances in how those topics were covered.
When English-language news discussed Harris’ challenges on the campaign trail they mentioned Trump’s derogatory remarks about Harris, Trump’s campaign strategy to target Harris, and concerns about her initial years as VP. On the other hand, Spanish-language news coverage provides additional context about how these remarks are received in different communities and their impact on public opinion. There is discussion about Republican and Democratic campaign strategies, with an emphasis on Harris’s challenges and her efforts to address them.
Another interesting difference is how the news discusses Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and identity politics. English sources might compare Harris, who is Black and Indian, with J.D. Vance, a white guy and the topic of meritocracy. Spanish sources discuss identity politics from a cultural and social perspective and examine how this impacts political narratives.
| Conclusions about English coverage | Conclusions about Spanish coverage |
| Focuses on political dynamics, internal party debates, and strategic considerations. | Emphasizes cultural and social perspectives, historical context, and implications for diverse communities. |
| Balanced sentiment with detailed analysis of Harris’s strengths and weaknesses. | Slightly more critical tone, with detailed analysis of internal party dynamics and donor dissatisfaction. |
| Coverage of Trump’s remarks and campaign strategies. | Balanced sentiment with additional focus on public opinion and cultural factors. |
Practical applications of a news API
We wanted to test Webz’s News API capabilities and see how our multilingual sentiment and topic analysis provides insight around the democratic VP hopefuls and presidential nominee. A News API can scan, extract, analyze, and enrich data from online news sources for your organization. It is a great tool for a variety of business use cases like financial analysis, sales intelligence, market research, and regulatory compliance tracking.
Now that you have seen a real-life use case, discover how Webz.io’s News API can help your business. Access relevant news sources in 170+ languages going back to 2008.
