There Is Only One Thing in Life Worse Than Being Watched, and that Is not Being Watched: Digital Data Analytics and the Reorganisation of Newspaper Production

In the Service of Good Journalism and Audience Interests? How Audience Metrics Affect News Quality

“…However, in many cases, audience metrics have already changed how journalists perceive news quality, good journalistic work, and audience expectations. Traffic numbers are often regarded as precise and objective indications of audience interests and are used to justify decisions that are uncertain or contradict professional journalistic standards (Bunce, 2019;Christin, 2018;Hagar & Diakopoulos, 2019;Usher, 2012;Whittaker, 2018). As Bucher (2017, p. 929) has put it, audience metrics "become imbued with discursive power used to negotiate with."…”

“…In addition, audience metrics are regularly reviewed in editorial meetings or sent via e-mail to the entire newsroom, typically as a ranking of the most popular articles of the day, week or month (Anderson, 2011;Belair-Gagnon, 2019;Blanchett Neheli, 2018;Cherubini & Nielsen, 2016;Christin, 2018;Ferrer-Conill & Tandoc, 2018;Ferrucci, 2020;Karlsson & Clerwall, 2013;Lamot & Paulussen, 2020;Lawrence, Radcliffe, & Schmidt, 2018;Moyo et al, 2019;Nelson & Tandoc, 2019;Schlesinger & Doyle, 2015;Tandoc, 2014;Usher, 2012Usher, , 2016Whittaker, 2018). Besides monitoring audience metrics, journalists are increasingly expected to promote their articles on social media and build up a followership to enhance traffic numbers (Agarwal & Barthel, 2015;Chadha & Wells, 2016;Siegelbaum & Thomas, 2016;Tandoc & Vos, 2016;Whittaker, 2018). The work and performance of journalists is judged more and more by their ability to generate traffic (Bunce, 2015(Bunce, , 2019Lamot & Paulussen, 2020;Nelson & Tandoc, 2019;Tandoc & Vos, 2016;Usher, 2012).…”

“…160-161;Duffy et al, 2018;Karlsson & Clerwall, 2013, p. 73;Meyen & Riesmeyer, 2009, p. 182;Thurman & Myllylahti, 2009, pp. 698-699;Whittaker, 2018). Although soft news is said to be increasing, partly due to day-parting (see Section 3), coverage is all in all considered to be a mix of hard news and soft news (Hanusch, 2017;Lamot & Paulussen, 2020).…”

“…There is strong evidence that not only formats but also styles of presentation have changed due to audience metrics. While early studies concluded that audience metrics are rarely used for the immediate modification of articles (MacGregor, 2007), more recent studies indicate that news reports are often modified if they do not generate the expected number of page views, in particular by changing headlines or exchanging pictures and videos (Bodó, 2019;Karlsson & Clerwall, 2013;Moyo et al, 2019;Slaček Brlek, 2018;Tandoc, 2014;Whittaker, 2018;Wyss, 2013). On the basis of these information cues, users decide whether or not to click on an article.…”

Protection of Personal Information of Workers under Algorithmic Monitoring

“…Currently, workers operate under the invisible web of algorithmic monitoring, where the availability of data may reshape workplace relationships, and an increasing number of work activities and products generate traceable digital footprints. The visibility of data increases the likelihood of workers being managed and controlled, [4] giving rise to numerous issues, including failures in the practice of informed consent rules and conflicts between managerial rights and the right to be informed. [5] In the contemporary digital and intelligent work environment, algorithmic monitoring, as an essential tool for enterprise management, brings about legal risks regarding the protection of workers' personal information.…”