Automating the News: How Algorithms Are Rewriting the Media

Automation is transforming journalism, with computer algorithms changing the creation, dissemination, and reception of the news. Nicholas Diakopoulos explores how machine learning and data mining have transformed investigative journalism, allowing media organizations to take advantage of experiments and economies of scale. He also shows that journalists are at little risk of being displaced, as their values remain the driving force behind the news.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 336 pages
\n Publication date: 10 June 2019
\n Publisher: Harvard University Press
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From hidden connections in big data to bots spreading fake news, journalism is increasingly computer-generated. An expert in computer science and media explains the present and future of a world in which news is created by algorithm.

Amid the push for self-driving cars and the roboticization of industrial economies, automation has proven one of the biggest news stories of our time. Yet the wide-scale automation of the news itself has largely escaped attention. In this lively exposé of that rapidly shifting terrain, Nicholas Diakopoulos focuses on the people who tell the stories—increasingly with the help of computer algorithms that are fundamentally changing the creation, dissemination, and reception of the news.

Diakopoulos reveals how machine learning and data mining have transformed investigative journalism. Newsbots converse with social media audiences, distributing stories and receiving feedback. Online media has become a platform for A/B testing of content, helping journalists to better understand what moves audiences. Algorithms can even draft certain kinds of stories. These techniques enable media organizations to take advantage of experiments and economies of scale, enhancing the sustainability of the fourth estate. But they also place pressure on editorial decision-making, because they allow journalists to produce more stories, sometimes better ones, but rarely both.

Automating the News responds to hype and fears surrounding journalistic algorithms by exploring the human influence embedded in automation. Though the effects of automation are deep, Diakopoulos shows that journalists are at little risk of being displaced. With algorithms at their fingertips, they may work differently and tell different stories than they otherwise would, but their values remain.

The rise of automation in journalism has brought about significant changes in the way news is produced and consumed. While some argue that it has led to a decline in the quality of journalism, others argue that it has opened up new opportunities for innovation and creativity. In this essay, we will explore the impact of automation on journalism and its potential benefits and challenges.

One of the most significant impacts of automation in journalism is the ability to process large amounts of data quickly and efficiently. With the help of machine learning algorithms, journalists can analyze data from social media, news outlets, and other sources to identify patterns and trends that may not be apparent to human analysts. This can help journalists to uncover stories that would otherwise go unnoticed and to provide more accurate and comprehensive coverage of events.

Another benefit of automation in journalism is the ability to generate content more quickly and efficiently. With the help of algorithms, journalists can write articles, produce videos, and create graphics more quickly than they could manually. This can help media organizations to respond more quickly to breaking news and to provide more timely and relevant content to their audiences.

However, automation also presents several challenges for journalists. One of the biggest challenges is the potential for bias in the algorithms used to generate content. Algorithms are only as unbiased as the data they are trained on, and if the data is biased, the algorithms will be biased as well. This can lead to the dissemination of false information and the perpetuation of stereotypes and biases.

Another challenge is the potential for automation to replace human journalists. While automation can help journalists to produce more content more quickly and efficiently, it cannot replace the human touch and the ability to interpret and analyze data in a nuanced and meaningful way. Human journalists are also better equipped to understand the context and nuances of a story and to provide a more comprehensive and nuanced analysis of events.

Despite these challenges, automation has the potential to transform journalism in a positive way. By providing journalists with new tools and techniques to analyze data and generate content, automation can help journalists to become more effective and efficient in their work. It can also help media organizations to provide more accurate and comprehensive coverage of events and to reach a wider audience.

In conclusion, automation has had a significant impact on journalism, both in terms of its potential benefits and challenges. While automation can help journalists to process large amounts of data quickly and efficiently, it also presents the potential for bias and the replacement of human journalists. However, by embracing automation and using it in conjunction with human expertise, journalists can become more effective and efficient in their work and help media organizations to provide more accurate and comprehensive coverage of events.

\n Weight: 536g\n
Dimension: 150 x 217 x 26 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780674976986\n \n