Author: Andy Pang

2017.

What a year.

So much has happened that it’s virtually impossible to remember yesterday, let alone the year in its entirety. However, if we were to sum up the media landscape in one word, “awakening” would be ideal 2017 verbiage.

Biases, echo chambers, and of course, fake news: concepts that are widely discussed these days, but are hardly new topics. What’s different in 2017, though, is that there is a collective realization of their impact. No longer are they distant topics for debate, but complex discussions with imminent implications on our society.

It’s time to start a new year, with new opportunities and responsibilities.

Despite the turbulent year that has passed, here we are again, in the month of January, being offered a fresh slate and ambitious opportunities. If 2017 was the year of awakening for the media industry, then 2018 is set to be a year of action. A year where ideas and solutions are put forth to address the way we process, consume, and scrutinize the information that shapes our views of the world, and each other.

From the academia sector to the journalism space, there is no shortage of predictions on the future of the media landscape. What’s encouraging is that experts and thinkers beyond those two traditional cores are also working towards improving the way we interact with content. This industry shift will elicit positive change in the long run because the problem in the media industry is not completely a human one, nor is it a technical one. Therefore, the solution lies in bridging human insight with technological innovation. DNN is a part of this shift, and that’s why we see industry reform and technological disruption as two equally important elements in the media landscape going forward. In this piece, we’d like to highlight some of the key trends in those areas and share our insights.

A side note before we dive in. It is not lost on us that there’s a number of problems in the media industry today, and that fixing these problems stems much deeper than simply altering the way information is curated and disseminated. Problems such as diversity, sexuall harrasement, and gender inequality are also significant barriers that the industry must face. However, we feel that the emotions, factors, and insights involved are different, and therefore deserve their own spotlight. To see our views on that topic, please check out our Gender Inequality series.

AI and “Augmented Journalism”

Artificial intelligence is already ingrained into the fabric of our daily lives, from the collision detection system in your car (soon to be autonomous cars) to Netflix learning, and recommending the type of shows you like to binge. It is only logical to assume that artificial intelligence would be used in a data intensive industry such as journalism.

Humans are integrating technology into virtually every aspect of their lives, journalism included.

It should also be noted that AI is a vast field, with a plethora of implications and use cases. In the realm of journalism, the biggest advantage for media outlets is perhaps the ability to analyze massive amounts of data from countless sources, “augmenting” the reporter’s ability to uncover insights in every story. In the 2018 Tech Trends For Journalism and Media released by the Future Today Institute, not only is artificial intelligence viewed as the top innovation trend impacting the mediascape, but is also being implemented in various tangible ways, such as automation and deep learning.

As far back as 2014, the LA Times became the first outlet to report on an earthquake, thanks to its own robot. But they’re not the only major US publication to experiment with “robo-journalism,” as Washing Post also relied on Heliograf, a writing bot developed by the outlet itself. The bot posted over 850 articles in 2017, covering stories from sports events to elections. Across the Atlantic, Leading UK news agency Press Association (PA) began a partnership with automation specialist Urbs Media to create 30,000 localized news reports every month.