Keyword – platform economy

Pintér, Róbert:

Journalism and changing communication technologies

This paper reviews the most important changes in the relationship between journalism and communication technologies in the past 25 years, i.e. since the establishment of the Hungarian media studies quarterly Médiakutató (The Media Researcher). It argues that the most important changes have not occurred in the production of news content, but its distribution, the business models of the media and the transforming gatekeeping role of journalists. The rise of platforms, algorithmic mediation and the attention economy has exposed news media to new forms of dependency, while the fragmentation of the shared information space and the growing influence of newsinfluencers have created additional challenges for journalists, editorial teams, media companies and the democratic public sphere. This article also briefly summarises contemporary approaches to media effects, with particular attention paid to the concepts of filter bubbles, echo chambers, affordances and the attention economy. Finally, it outlines possible short- and long-term scenarios for the future of journalism, with a focus on the expanding role of generative artificial intelligence.

Keywords: algorithms, gatekeeper, information and communication technology, journalism, platform economy