Article on algorithm-driven front pages wins prize

Marianne Borchgrevink-Brækhus is a PhD candidate at MediaFutures and the Bergen media Research Group. Her award-winning research paper “There is not enough space on the interent”: algorithm-driven front pages and editorial considerations” delves into the transition towards algorithm-driven front pages in two prominent online newspapers in Norway.

In their evaluation, the NMT committee wrote:

“The article deals with a current topic of significant academic and societal relevance. Algorithms have an increasingly significant impact on news evaluations, but are often met with skepticism in academic literature. The public debate revolves around the idea that algorithms undermine editorial judgments and lead to a homogeneous news supply, and weaken the common agenda.

The article seeks to move beyond this dominant understanding, and examine the process behind how algorithms structure news website pages. In a time of growing concerns about a polarized climate debate, and where online news sources play a central role in people’s news consumption, these are critical questions in a broader societal context”.