Leiden University Student Repository

Faour, Layal (2024)

How News Workers Develop Strategies Based on Their Understanding of TikTok’s Algorithm? Exploring the relationship between algorithmic folk theories of news workers and their editorial decision making processes: TikTok as a case study

Master thesis | Media Studies (MA)

Social media has emerged as a crucial channel for news dissemination, prompting news outlets to utilize these platforms to reach their audiences effectively. Platforms such as TikTok have gained prominence among younger demographics, leading news workers to adapt their content to align with the platform's algorithmic logic. This thesis investigates how news workers develop strategies informed by their understanding of TikTok's opaque algorithm to shape their editorial decision-making process. By exploring the relationship between news workers' algorithmic folk theories and their editorial practices on TikTok, this thesis sheds light on the impact of journalists' algorithmic folk theories on news production processes.

TikTok

Strategies

Algorithm

Folk Theories

Platforms, Editorial decision

Author

Faour, Layal

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Journalistiek en nieuwe media

Supervisors

Dodds, T

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en