Dataset of Instagram Engagement and Content Strategies of US and UK Legacy Media: A Quantitative Analysis of Five Leading News Outlets

This data covers the Instagram strategies of five major media outlets: The New York Times, The Guardian, USA Today, The Independent, and The Washington Post. Objectives include examining post volume, engagement metrics, content types, geographic coverage, individual mentions, and hashtag usage. Analysing 9,467 posts from 2023 using statistical and AI techniques, findings show The Washington Post posts most frequently, while The Independent and The Guardian achieve higher average engagement. Hashtags and mentions generally yield lower engagement. Donald Trump is the most mentioned individual, and the United States is the most covered country.