Interested in diversity: The role of user attitudes, algorithmic feedback loops, and policy in news personalization external link

Digital Journalism, vol. 7, num: 2, pp: 206-229, 2019

Abstract

Using survey evidence from the Netherlands, we explore the factors that influence news readers’ attitudes toward news personalization. We show that the value of personalization depends on commonly overlooked factors, such as concerns about a shared news sphere, and the diversity of recommendations. However, these expectations are not universal. Younger, less educated users are more exposed to personalized news and show little concern about diverse news recommendations. Quality news organizations that pursue reader loyalty and trust are incentivized to implement personalization algorithms that aim for diversity and high quality recommendations. However, some users are in danger of being left out of this positive feedback loop. We make specific policy suggestions regarding how to solve that issue.

frontpage, Mediarecht, news, personalization, survey, the netherlands, user attitudes

Bibtex

Article{Bodó2019, title = {Interested in diversity: The role of user attitudes, algorithmic feedback loops, and policy in news personalization}, author = {Bodó, B. and Helberger, N. and Eskens, S. and Möller, J.}, url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21670811.2018.1521292}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2018.1521292}, year = {0108}, date = {2019-01-08}, journal = {Digital Journalism}, volume = {7}, number = {2}, pages = {206-229}, abstract = {Using survey evidence from the Netherlands, we explore the factors that influence news readers’ attitudes toward news personalization. We show that the value of personalization depends on commonly overlooked factors, such as concerns about a shared news sphere, and the diversity of recommendations. However, these expectations are not universal. Younger, less educated users are more exposed to personalized news and show little concern about diverse news recommendations. Quality news organizations that pursue reader loyalty and trust are incentivized to implement personalization algorithms that aim for diversity and high quality recommendations. However, some users are in danger of being left out of this positive feedback loop. We make specific policy suggestions regarding how to solve that issue.}, keywords = {frontpage, Mediarecht, news, personalization, survey, the netherlands, user attitudes}, }

International Survey on Private Copying – Law and Practice 2016 external link

Wijminga, H., Klomp, W., Jagt, M. van der & Poort, J.
2017

frontpage, landenvergelijking, private copying, survey, thuiskopie

Bibtex

Report{Wijminga2017, title = {International Survey on Private Copying – Law and Practice 2016}, author = {Wijminga, H. and Klomp, W. and Jagt, M. van der and Poort, J.}, url = {https://www.ivir.nl/publicaties/download/International_Survey_on_Private_Copying.pdf}, year = {0620}, date = {2017-06-20}, keywords = {frontpage, landenvergelijking, private copying, survey, thuiskopie}, }

Shrinking core? Exploring the differential agenda setting power of traditional and personalized news external link

Möller, J., Helberger, N., Trilling, D., Irion, K. & Vreese, C.H. de
info, vol. 18, num: 6, pp: 26-41, 2016

Abstract

A shared issue agenda provides democracies with a set of topics that structure the public debate. The advent of personalized news media that use smart algorithms to tailor the news offer to the user challenges the established way of setting the agenda of such a common core of issues. This paper tests the effects of personalized news use on perceived importance of these issues in the common core. In particular we study whether personalized news use leads to a concentration at the top of the issue agenda or to a more diverse issue agenda with a long tail of topics. Based on a cross-sectional survey of a representative population sample (N=1556), we find that personalized news use does not lead to a small common core in which few topics are discussed extensively, yet there is a relationship between personalized news use and a preference for less discussed topics. This is a result of a specific user profile of personalized news users: younger, more educated news users are more interested in topics at the fringes of the common core and also make more use of personalized news offers. The results are discussed in the light of media diversity and recent advances in public sphere research.

common core, fragmentation, frontpage, Media law, media law & policy, Personalisation, survey

Bibtex

Article{Moeller2016, title = {Shrinking core? Exploring the differential agenda setting power of traditional and personalized news}, author = {Möller, J. and Helberger, N. and Trilling, D. and Irion, K. and Vreese, C.H. de}, url = {http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/info-05-2016-0020}, doi = {https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/info-05-2016-0020}, year = {0927}, date = {2016-09-27}, journal = {info}, volume = {18}, number = {6}, pages = {26-41}, abstract = {A shared issue agenda provides democracies with a set of topics that structure the public debate. The advent of personalized news media that use smart algorithms to tailor the news offer to the user challenges the established way of setting the agenda of such a common core of issues. This paper tests the effects of personalized news use on perceived importance of these issues in the common core. In particular we study whether personalized news use leads to a concentration at the top of the issue agenda or to a more diverse issue agenda with a long tail of topics. Based on a cross-sectional survey of a representative population sample (N=1556), we find that personalized news use does not lead to a small common core in which few topics are discussed extensively, yet there is a relationship between personalized news use and a preference for less discussed topics. This is a result of a specific user profile of personalized news users: younger, more educated news users are more interested in topics at the fringes of the common core and also make more use of personalized news offers. The results are discussed in the light of media diversity and recent advances in public sphere research.}, keywords = {common core, fragmentation, frontpage, Media law, media law & policy, Personalisation, survey}, }