Cometrics featured in USC Annenberg’s 2026 Global Communication Report

Cometrics contributed original analysis to USC Annenberg’s 2026 Global Communication Report, examining how C‑suite leaders communicated around the 2024 U.S. election. Our work draws on our proprietary dataset of more than 10,000 C‑suite executives, tracking Fortune 500 executive communications across LinkedIn, social media, analyst calls, and 30‑plus public sources over a six‑month window around the election.

The finding: executives didn’t go quiet — they pivoted. Mentions of AI and agents surged by 75%, while references to Net Zero fell 44%, greenhouse gases declined 50%, and LGBTQ+ dropped 77% over the same period. Instead of withdrawing from the conversation, leaders shifted away from polarizing social and climate topics toward “safer” innovation narratives anchored in AI.

Our contribution, featured on page 24 of USC Annenberg’s 2026 Global Communication Report, puts hard numbers behind that pivot in executive voice and helps explain how polarization is reshaping what leaders talk about in public. To read the full findings, download USC Annenberg’s 2026 Global Communication Report, “A Quiet Shift,” https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations/global-communication-report

To learn more about our work with USC Annenberg or explore custom analysis of your leadership’s communications, contact our team at [email protected].