It’s All about the Algorithm, Reprise 0
At the San Francisco Chronicle, John Diaz argues that, as persons increasing turn to the internet for news, the dominance of Google and Facebook and their use of algorithms designed to keep you “engaged,”* rather than informed, is warping and distorting persons’ perception of what is and what isn’t news. He also suggests that, as persons are more and more relying on “aggregators,” the revenue for outfits that do actual reporting, as opposed the “aggregation,” is suffering. These factors, in his eyes, and distorting and diluting the discourse and, ultimately, weakening the polity.
A snippet:
The playing field is anything but level. And the result is devastating for publishers who are becoming increasingly dependent on a digital audience as print circulation continues its decline.
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Listen to the Bad Voltage podcast which I mentioned yesterday for more about “engagement” and “inform-ment.”
