In this research seminar, taught and assessed in English, we will study so-called ‘robo-news’ or ‘automated journalism’, where news content, including videos, are produced by algorithms. We will learn about the technology (including getting hands-on with it ourselves) and consider the wider implications for media, journalism, and society. The seminar’s research project will be focused around audiences’ and producers’ perceptions of automated journalism (and on the type of content produced using the technology). While there is some published research on consumers’ and journalists’ perceptions, there is still much to discover. We will consider what criteria should be used to assess journalism; how we can find, or create, genuinely comparable examples of human- and computer-made news; and what factors can influence audience perceptions. We will set-up online experiments and analyse and write-up the results. Instruction will also be given on academic writing in English.
- Teacher: Neil Thurman