Topline
The right-wing sources that typically dominate Facebook by promoting polarizing articles took a back seat this week as America reacted to news of beloved actress Betty White’s death just weeks before her 100th birthday, with stories about White accounting for half of the top 10 link posts on the platform over the past week.
Actress Betty White visits fuse Studios on June 11, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Gary … [+]
Key Facts
The top link post on Facebook this week was from TMZ, which shared a breaking news story about White’s death on New Year’s Eve.
The post was shared more than 204,000 times, attracted around 62,000 reactions and had more than 6,500 comments, according to data compiled by social media tracking firm NewsWhip.
Other popular posts about White included one from Deadline Hollywood, which shared a story about Don Cheadle paying tribute to her, and another from Entertainment Weekly, which had a piece about Saturday Night Live re-airing its episode where White served as host.
The only conservative news page that had any post in the top 10 this week was Dan Bongino’s, whose post about the IRS reminding Americans to report stolen property as income came in at No. 8.
Contra
Right-wing figures commanded news sharing on Facebook throughout 2021, and there were often weeks where personalities like Ben Shapiro accounted for essentially all of the top link posts. The most popular news-related link post in the U.S. last year came from conservative pastor Franklin Graham, who shared a story about former President Donald Trump’s tumbling rank last year on Forbes‘ billionaire list.
Key Background
White’s death just 17 days before her 100th birthday stunned her many fans who were looking forward to the milestone, given how she recently said she was in good health. Her agent later said White “died peacefully in her sleep” of natural causes. White’s career spanned generations, from 1939 to just days before her death, and a January 17 screening set for theaters nationwide marking her 100th birthday will still go on, though it’s been rebilled as a dedication rather than a celebratory event. White was best known for her role as Rose Nylund on the sitcom the Golden Girls, which aired from 1985-1992, along with starring roles on shows such as Hot in Cleveland and the Mary Tyler Moore show.
Tangent
White was chosen to host SNL’s May 8, 2010, show following a successful social media campaign from her younger fans, becoming the show’s oldest host to date at the age of 88. Her episode scored a higher rating than all other SNL airings in the 18 months leading up to it.
Further Reading
Jussie Smollett News And A ‘Let’s Go Brandon Store’ Dominate Facebook—Thanks In Part To Ben Shapiro (Forbes)
Betty White Dead At 99, Weeks Before Milestone Birthday (Forbes)
Screening event for Betty White’s 100th birthday will go on (CNN)
Trump’s Tumbling Billionaire Ranking Made For Facebook’s Most Shared News Post In 2021 (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/01/07/betty-whites-death-breaks-right-wing-hold-on-facebook-news-cycle/