When we Post About #Veterans: The Role of News Media in Guiding Social Media Dialogue about Military Veterans

News media represent an important source of information for the civilian public when it comes to military veterans and the Armed Forces. This can be problematic given that journalists often present shallow representations of veterans. The present study seeks to understand how news stories shape public conversations about military veterans by examining when—and what—people communicate when talking about military veterans on social media in the United States. Borrowing a tool from the advertising field, the study uses “listening software” to identify: (a) peaks in Twitter conversations about veterans over the course of a year, (b) the subject matter discussed during those peaks, and (c) the frequency with which the conversation is driven by news stories. Results suggest the American news media and politicians often set the agenda for public dialogue concerning veterans on Twitter, perpetuating predominantly negative sentiment during every period except the major holidays—Veterans Day and Memorial Day. The discussion section offers veterans advice on how to take advantage of the trends to focus online conversations on proactive issues related to veterans.