Polarity vs subjectivity

Polarity and subjectivity analysis are useful tools for understanding the tone and perspective presented in textual data, such as newspaper articles. Polarity refers to the sentiment conveyed in the text, typically categorised as positive, negative or neutral. This allows researchers to track changes in public opinion or media tone over time. Subjectivity, on the other hand, indicates how much personal opinion or bias is present in the text, as opposed to factual information. By analysing these aspects, DH researchers can uncover biases in media coverage, compare narrative styles of different periods, or explore how certain events are framed by different sources.

In sentiment analysis, the polarity score often ranges from -1 to 1, where -1 represents a completely negative sentiment, 1 represents a completely positive sentiment and 0 represents a neutral sentiment.

For subjectivity, the score typically ranges from 0 to 1. A score of 0 indicates that the text is completely objective, i.e. it is based on facts and lacks personal opinion or emotion. A score of 1, on the other hand, indicates that the text is highly subjective, containing personal opinions, assumptions or interpretations rather than factual information.