Understanding Journalists' Workflows in News Curation (2304.00132v1)

Abstract: With the increasing dominance of the internet as a source of news consumption, there has been a rise in the production and popularity of email newsletters compiled by individual journalists. However, there is little research on the processes of aggregation, and how these differ between expert journalists and trained machines. In this paper, we interviewed journalists who curate newsletters from around the world. Through an in-depth understanding of journalists' workflows, our findings lay out the role of their prior experience in the value they bring into the curation process, their use of algorithms in finding stories for their newsletter, and their internalization of their readers' interests and the context they are curating for. While identifying the role of human expertise, we highlight the importance of hybrid curation and provide design insights on how technology can support the work of these experts.

• The paper details a hybrid news curation process where journalists combine algorithmic platforms with expert judgment.
• It uses in-depth interviews with 10 journalists from multiple countries to reveal structured workflows and subjective decision-making.
• Findings emphasize that integrating human expertise with algorithmic support can improve news selection and boost audience engagement.

Understanding Journalists' Workflows in News Curation

The paper presented provides a detailed analysis of the workflows engaged by journalists who curate email newsletters, a format that has gained popularity amid the rising consumption of news on the internet. This exploration serves as a comparison to algorithmic news aggregation methods which have become prevalent via platforms such as Google News. Notably, this research contributes to understanding how human expertise intertwines with technological tools in the evolving landscape of news curation.

Overview of Research

The paper adopts a qualitative approach, primarily sourcing insights from in-depth interviews with 10 journalists involved in the curation of newsletters from diverse news sources. These journalists reside across different geographic locations such as the US, UK, India, and Italy, offering a broad perspective on the current practices in news curation. The focus is not just on the story selection but examining the intrinsic factors such as journalistic experience, reader interest considerations, and the subjective decision-making that informs their workflow.

Key Findings

The workflow of the participants displays a structured process, starting from aggregating stories from major recognized content producers like The New York Times, to utilizing intermediaries like Twitter and Google News, and further, to evaluating and shortlisting stories that fit within their crafted editorial narrative.

1. Utilizing Algorithms and Content Producers: Journalists acknowledged using both direct content producers' sites and intermediary platforms to systematically comb through a wide set of news stories. Google News and Twitter were heavily relied upon to capture a breadth of topics from a multitude of sources, countering the biases such as recency and popularity that algorithms inherently provide.
2. Journalistic Experience: The professional insight gained from years of journalistic practice aids curators in discerning the credibility and potential impact of stories. Prior experience allows them to sift through noise, assess narrative quality, and add contextual value within newsletters.
3. Reader Interests: The responsibility to aggregate content that pleases a diverse audience is handled by understanding implicit reader preferences and occasionally seeking direct feedback. Journalists attempt crafting stories that are engaging, balanced, and occasionally seasoned with humor or lighter content to maintain reader interest.
4. Subjective Judgment: Journalists consciously exercise subjective judgment, informed by context such as geographic focus and topical relevance. Their ability to subjectively navigate news values and frames offer personalized perspectives that algorithmic aggregators often lack.

Implications and Future Directions

The research highlights several areas where algorithms can effectively support journalistic efforts. The hybrid curation model proposes advancing algorithms capable of identifying news frames and assessing novelty within stories—dimensions critical to producing content that resonates with diverse readerships. Additionally, the research posits that increasing transparency regarding potential biases within automated news selection systems could align these technologies better with journalistic values.

For future work, developing sophisticated tools which align technological prowess with the nuanced craft of journalism would support broader dissemination and more diverse news consumption. Designing configurable tools that offer journalists control over the criteria used to assess and select stories could empower both novel discovery and balanced reporting. Furthermore, more in-depth exploration of the intersections between human curation and automated systems could refine our understanding of how these disciplines can optimally collaborate.

Conclusion

This paper provides a tangible account of the symbiotic relationship between human journalistic skill and evolving algorithmic capabilities. By detailing how journalists effectively employ both conventional methods and technological innovation, the paper reveals the multifaceted nature of modern news curation. The nuanced approach proposed here serves as a roadmap for future advancements in harnessing AI to sustain the dynamism and integrity of news dissemination.