The Evolutionary Characteristics and Process Mechanisms of Online Public Opinion for Major Sports Event Emergencies

With the rapid development of information technology, online public opinion on major sports event emergencies occurs frequently. However, the causal mechanisms and governance strategies for the evolution of online public opinion on major sports event emergencies have not been sufficiently explored; thus, this study examines public sentiment and the drivers of major sports event emergencies using Python and the grounded theory method. The results reveal that the evolution of online public opinion on major sports event emergencies is characterized by three stages: “outbreak period, repetition period and fading period.” Furthermore, online public opinion on major sports event emergencies demonstrates a dynamic trend of “triggering-deepening-extending.” Moreover, the evolution of online public opinion on major sports event emergencies is mainly influenced by emotional resonance, accident review and extended reflection. These findings have implications for the response, control and governance of online public opinion about sports event emergencies.