Ethical Challenges of Algorithmic Journalism

Dörr, Konstantin; Hollnbuchner, Katharina

doi:10.1080/21670811.2016.1167612

Cited by 126 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…In scholarship on automation in journalism investigations of newswork-management dynamics have been only marginally explored (Cohen, 2015;Bucher, 2017;Slaček Brlek, Smrke and Vobič, 2017). However, scholarship provides insights into practices and perceptions (van Dalen, 2012;Young and Hermida, 2015;Thurman et al, 2017), profoundly discusses epistemological implications (Splendore, 2016;Coddington, 2015;Carlson, 2017) and reconsiders legal and ethical issues of recent human-automation modes of journalism (Dörr and Hollbuchner, 2017;Diakopoulos and Koliska, 2017;Montal and Reich, 2017). To add to these discussions, we explore automation through the negotiations of newsroom management -a 'breed' of editors that has affirmed itself in the last three decades, manoeuvring between news and business ideals and interests (Underwood, 1993(Underwood, /1995 x)and its role in dynamics of the "appropriation of journalists" (Hardt, 1998: 194).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Our task is to demystify fears’: Analysing newsroom management of automation in journalism

Milosavljević

Vobič

2019

Journalism

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The study explores uses of algorithmic techniques in journalists’ working environments and investigates newsroom managers’ negotiations of automation as innovation process aimed at ensuring partial or full replacement of human labour with technology. Drawing from 15 qualitative interviews with representatives of newsroom management from legacy news institutions in the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States, the study analyses their (cl)aims to maintain the newsroom as a stable, but dynamic working environment and reveals three dualist propositions when negotiating automation novelties – human journalistic agency stands in contrast to technology, skills are separated from newsworkers, and the creation of news contrasts with its presentation. The results show the interviewees re-articulate the dominance of human agency over technology, re-establish technological innovations as liberating newsworkers rather than subordinating them, and standardise news by re-evaluating the concept as both a civic bond and a commodity. Such considerations are detached from recent concerns about automation of human labour and closer to what we call algorithmic sublime, maintaining the newsroom management’s loyalty to both the professional values of journalism and the corporate goals of management.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Our task is to demystify fears’: Analysing newsroom management of automation in journalism

Milosavljević

Vobič

2019

Journalism

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“…Added to all these, concerns regarding ethical issues were once again raised centered on the fundamental argument of 'human value over machinery'. On the other hand, the application of chatbots has shown that they can unburden the human journalist from daily routine work, reduce pressure for producing quantity of news and, instead, allow them to concentrate on quality, free up capacities for in-depth analysis and reporting and, thus, enable journalists to consider moral demands in journalistic work, like checking of multiple sources, reflection, and diligence (Dörr & Hollnbuchner, 2017), especially in the era of big data.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chatbots on the Rise: A New Narrative in Journalism

Veglis¹,

Maniou²

2019

SMC

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With the advent of Web 2.0, new forms of journalism arose, paving the way for the implementation of computational and automatization processes in all aspects of mass communication. As such, chatbots have already been adapted in the news media platforms bringing forward a series of issues and effects upon journalistic narrative, content and professional practices. This paper presents the role of chatbots and their characteristics, discusses the application of different types of chatbots in the news media and presents a theoretical overview of the advantages and disadvantages regarding their adaptation in journalism, as well as key ethical concerns connected to the emergence of this new journalistic narrative.

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“…These questions have begun to be addressed in the literature. For example, Dörr and Hollnbuchner (2016) identify, frame, and discuss ethical challenges around automated text production with regard to professional, organizational, and societal levels of responsibility in journalism. Complementing this conceptual approach, Montal and Reich (2016) analysed how 12 news websites bylined the automated news stories they published, concluding with a call for full disclosure.…”

Section: Ethicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While most of the research into this so-called "automated journalism" 2 (Graefe 2016; Montal and Reich 2016) has focused on audience perceptions of automated content (e.g. Clerwall 2014;Graefe et al 2016), on societal or economic implications (Latar 2015;Dörr 2016), or on ethics (Diakopoulos and Koliska 2016;Dörr and Hollnbuchner 2016;Montal The Version of Record of this manuscript has been published and is available in Digital Journalism (2017) http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2017.1289819 and Reich 2016), there has also been some focus on the micro level, with the journalist as research object. Van Dalen (2012) analysed journalistic reactions to the launch of StatSheet, a network of machine-written sport websites, by looking at reporting in 68 blog posts and newspaper articles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When Reporters Get Hands-on with Robo-Writing

2017

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The availability of data feeds, the demand for news on digital devices, and advances in algorithms are helping to make automated journalism more prevalent. This article extends the literature on the subject by analysing professional journalists' experiences with, and attitudes to, the technology. Uniquely, the participants were drawn from a range of news organizations-including the BBC, CNN, and Thomson Reuters-and had first-hand experience working with robo-writing software provided by one of the leading technology suppliers. The results reveal journalists' judgements on the limitations of automation, including the nature of its sources and the sensitivity of its "nose for news". Nonetheless, journalists believe that automated journalism will become more common, increasing the depth, breadth, specificity, and immediacy of information available. While some news organizations and consumers may benefit, such changes raise ethical and societal issues and, counter-intuitively perhaps, may increase the need for skills-news judgement, curiosity, and scepticism-that human journalists embody.

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Ethical Challenges of Algorithmic Journalism

Cited by 126 publications

References 30 publications

‘Our task is to demystify fears’: Analysing newsroom management of automation in journalism

‘Our task is to demystify fears’: Analysing newsroom management of automation in journalism

Chatbots on the Rise: A New Narrative in Journalism

When Reporters Get Hands-on with Robo-Writing

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