Data Collection Technology Has Changed Journalism Production and Education

 Data Collection Technology and Analytics

The Power of Opinion

Social media sites and blogs are not the only platforms utilizing digital tools to understand their audience. With data collecting technology, news outlets can now digital tools to measure and predict how audiences react to news stories.  Audience data has changed news gathering and raised concerns about news production resulting in changes to curriculum in professional journalism. 

 

Chartbeat Study

One Chilean newsroom study for La Tercera found that algorithm and analytic tools can now estimate popularity of new production. The results of the study show how the desired impact of the audience impacts the production of the news story all together. Digital tool Chartbeat “creates a strange sense of competition among journalists, for it informs reporters about people’s preferences between all the content available on the website.” At the same time, journalists who’s stories perform well receive a feeling of success based on the number of times someone clicked on their story. Chartbeat is a technology company that provides data and analytics to global publishers. 

 

 Screens showing Chartbeat data for La Tercera's website (Photo: Lead author during fieldwork. December 2017) 

 

The popularity race pictured here, ranking journalist from top to bottom is just a small scale representation of the constant competition for media attention in an increasingly attention based economy. Measuring news story performance is a vital tool to compare organizations with their competitors, increase ad revenue, and boost reader engagement on news articles. But with a more data driven culture, changes to production practices, routines and professional standards are likely. While learning about your audience or using a data service may not seem harmful, the shift of newsworthiness from journalists to data centered audiences and stakeholders can result in journalist reporting on news against their own ideals and the shaping of public opinion to turn a profit.

 

 Changes to Education in Journalism

As a result of Digital tools like Chartbeat and Google Analytics, journalist education is changing to include new studies in the curriculum. Advancements in technology can make it difficult for school curriculum to keep up, leaving gaps in education and professional training for journalist in the workforce. One study examines the use of data collecting tool, Google analytics, and how journalism students can better understand their audience. Nelson and Edgerly mention how most news outlets utilize data service providers. Programs like Google Analytics, Chartbeat, Parse.ly, or Comscore to quantify how much and how often news articles are read and shared online and now how education programs have started to include course work studying these tools. The authors state that,  

Google Analytics

 

 

“Journalism programs are indeed adapting to a more audience-focused news media environment; however, they appear to be doing so by preparing students for jobs within one of the few spaces where opportunities appear to be growing—audience analytics.” (Nelson & Edgerly)

     

    With educational programs adopting courses dedicated to audience centered tools, the future of journalism can continue to evolve along with technological achievements while staying true to the standards of professional journalism.  

 

 

 

 

 

References 

 

Dodds, T., de Vreese, C., Helberger, N., Resendez, V., & Seipp, T. (2023). Popularity-driven Metrics: Audience Analytics and Shifting Opinion Power to Digital Platforms. Journalism Studies, 24(3), 403–421. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1080/1461670X.2023.2167104

Nelson, J. L., & Edgerly, S. (2022). The (Ir)Relevance of Audience Studies in Journalism Education. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 77(2), 177–189. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1177/10776958211044885