Abstract
Online media consumption has been radically transformed by how media companies algorithmically recommend content to their users. Public service media (PSM) have also realized the potential of recommender systems and are increasingly using these technologies to personalize their online offering. PSM are on the other hand required to disseminate diverse content, which can be incompatible with the logics of commercial recommender systems that primarily seek to drive up media consumption. Drawing on previous research on selective exposure and media diversity, this study presents the results from interviews with ten PSM informants across Europe, revealing that data scientists within these organizations are highly aware of the effects recommendations have on media consumption, and design the PSM online services accordingly. This study contributes with in-depth knowledge of how diversity has been interpreted at operational levels in PSM and how recommender systems are being adapted to a non-commercial setting.
Highlights
Online media consumption has been radically transformed by how media companies algorithmically recommend content to their users
Concerns have been raised that personalization leads to people’s exposure to media content becoming narrower due to the rise of “filter bubbles” (Pariser 2011), creating “echo chambers” (Sunstein 2007) in the process
The Public service media (PSM) recommender systems are largely based on automatic personalization, which can be compared to a similar trend witnessed in Thurman and Schifferes’ (2012) research on personalization in news organizations
Summary
Online media consumption has been radically transformed by how media companies algorithmically recommend content to their users. An important part of this puzzle is the use of recommender systems, essentially a set of different algorithms that recommend content based on previous use, similar viewers, or other factors. These recommender systems actively personalize the feeds of their users, using the back catalogues of the media services to generate unique interfaces for their visitors. In Europe, public service media (PSM) companies are realizing the potential of recommender systems and the merits of distributing content in a personalized way. For PSM, claims that personalization of content creates echo chambers and produces filter bubbles must be taken seriously
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
