Automated journalism and its re-articulation of Dutch professional journalistic ideology
Summary
This master thesis investigates the topic of automated journalism in Dutch journalism. Previous research on the topic of automated journalism shows that the entry of algorithms in journalistic production and dissemination processes could serve as a tipping point in the human element of journalism. This research analyses ten semi-structured interviews conducted with national and local journalists who hold both editorial and managerial duties at Dutch news organisations.
By focussing on how the journalists discuss the aspects of automated journalism technology as a communicator instead of a facilitator, how automated journalism technologies and its communicative aspects could be resisted, embraced or rebuild the professional ideology of Dutch journalism and how Dutch journalists articulate their opinions on automated journalism, this thesis provides evidence for viewpoints beyond the “robot-human job loss” paradigm.
The journalists state that automated journalism will change the Dutch journalistic profession as journalism itself. The emerging human–machine communications are defined by the blend of supportive automated systems and (commanding) human agencies, while enabling opportunities for automated and human journalists to collaborate and reap each other’s benefits. It will enable opportunities such as the ability of automation to automation to reach out to more experts a human journalist can and the human journalist using his background knowledge to convert the data in order to enhance objective reporting. Therefore leaving human journalists not with a loss of work, but reaping the benefits of this advanced technology.