Opportunities for Robotization in Local Journalism: The Case of 'Mittmedia'
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33732/ixc/11/02OportuKeywords:
Artificial Intelligence, Robotization, Hi-tech Journalism, Local Media, Business Models, Audience EngagementAbstract
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) for journalistic purposes is increasingly present in worldwide media. Despite its key role in the construction of communities, the local press enjoys a lower level of use of AI due to its limited economic capacity. It is in this context that this research examines the use of robotization in the local media of the Mittmedia consortium in Sweden, which in the period 2017-2020 have exponentially increased their number of subscribers through articles produced by a bot (The homeowners bot). The structure and content of the information published by this United Robot tool is analyzed, for which 50 news items published in three periods of time (2017, 2018 and 2019) are collected. As a result, it is observed that the bot produces short texts with interactivity elements that contextualize their content. Automation focuses on news from the real estate sector, providing public service information by subscription. This practice means a chance for robotization to be used to develop texts that generate engagement in local areas, since without AI many of these issues would be left uncovered.
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