The Geography of Information Diffusion in Online Discourse on Europe and
  Migration
Elisa Leonardelli Sara Tonelli
The online diffusion of information related to Europe and migration has been
little investigated from an external point of view. However, this is a very
relevant topic, especially if users have had no direct contact with Europe and
its perception depends solely on information retrieved online. In this work we
analyse the information circulating online about Europe and migration after
retrieving a large amount of data from social media (Twitter), to gain new
insights into topics, magnitude, and dynamics of their diffusion. We combine
retweets and hashtags network analysis with geolocation of users, linking thus
data to geography and allowing analysis from an "outside Europe" perspective,
with a special focus on Africa. We also introduce a novel approach based on
cross-lingual quotes, i.e. when content in a language is commented and
retweeted in another language, assuming these interactions are a proxy for
connections between very distant communities. Results show how the majority of
online discussions occurs at a national level, especially when discussing
migration. Language (English) is pivotal for information to become
transnational and reach far. Transnational information flow is strongly
unbalanced, with content mainly produced in Europe and amplified outside.
Conversely Europe-based accounts tend to be self-referential when they discuss
migration-related topics. Football is the most exported topic from Europe
worldwide. Moreover, important nodes in the communities discussing
migration-related topics include accounts of official institutions and
international agencies, together with journalists, news, commentators and
activists.