The old-new epistemology of digital journalism: how algorithms and filter bubbles are (re)creating modern metanarratives

Journalism studies have explored the epistemology of various journalistic forms and media. The rise of digital media spurred the field of "Epistemologies of Digital Journalism." Some scholars interpret the changes in digital journalism as a "postmodern turn," associating digital media with subjectivity and relativism. This article proposes an alternative perspective, arguing that the current online information landscape is better understood as a reintroduction of modern metanarratives in a subjective form. The study focuses on the influence of algorithms and filter bubbles on news production and consumption, particularly in the Global North (Europe and the United States). It aims to redefine the epistemological paradigm of online journalism, opening avenues for future empirical research.

The article reviews the transition from modern to postmodern journalism. Modern journalism, rooted in the Enlightenment, emphasized objectivity and rational procedures for describing reality. This "objectivity 1.0" paradigm aimed to present factual truths and was seen as a bulwark against persuasive public relations. However, starting in the 1960s and 70s, critiques emerged challenging the objectivity norm's reinforcement of established power structures. Postmodernism's skepticism toward metanarratives and the rise of subjective reporting, exemplified by New Journalism, marked a shift towards "objectivity 2.0." This postmodern turn involved a move from objective reporting to subjective reporting, integrating emotions into journalistic texts, and challenging the very concept of objective truth. The rise of digital media, with its blurring of lines between professional and amateur content and the affordances of new technologies, accelerated this shift toward a more subjective, confessional journalism, challenging traditional boundaries and leading to perspectivism and relativism.

This article employs a conceptual argument, not empirical findings. It analyzes existing theoretical frameworks on journalism and digital media to develop a new epistemological paradigm. The author examines the relationship between digital technologies, algorithmic processes, and the formation of ideological bubbles. He draws upon philosophical works of Lyotard, Nietzsche, and Heidegger to support his argument. The analysis focuses on how algorithms and filter bubbles lead to selective exposure to information, reinforcing pre-existing beliefs and creating echo chambers. The concept of "information platformization" is introduced, highlighting how the logic and imperatives of online platforms influence both news production and consumption. The author explores the dynamics of confirmation bias and the backfire effect within online communities, showing how these reinforce existing beliefs and resist factual correction. The role of "share baiting" in online headlines is discussed, demonstrating how these are crafted for immediate impact and emotional engagement rather than nuanced understanding. The study contrasts the postmodern ideal of equivalent interpretations and open dialogue with the reality of polarized online discourse, where subjective narratives claim absolute truth within information bubbles. The paper also briefly touches upon the impact of these dynamics in the Global South, particularly in contexts of low digital literacy and pre-existing societal polarizations, suggesting areas for future research.

The central argument is that the online information landscape, particularly as shaped by algorithms and filter bubbles, is not a postmodern phenomenon, but rather a subjective fulfillment of modernism. The article contends that the fragmented audiences and ideological bubbles created by algorithms generate a communicative environment at odds with the core tenets of postmodern thought, specifically the equivalence of interpretations and the openness to dialogue. Instead, it argues that online narratives, including journalistic ones, resemble modern metanarratives in their claim to absolute truth within specific ideological bubbles. The article cites confirmation bias and the backfire effect as mechanisms that reinforce these trends. The increasing "platformization" of information, where online platforms dictate both news production and consumption, further exacerbates this phenomenon. News organizations, driven by the platform's monetization logic, adapt to the pre-existing biases and ideologies of their user base, producing content aimed at maximizing engagement within these bubbles. This results in a form of journalism that prioritizes emotional impact and immediate comprehension over nuanced reporting and open dialogue. While acknowledging the subjectivity of online news narratives, the author rejects the postmodern assumption of all interpretations being equally legitimate. Instead, the article posits that the algorithmic web fosters a clash of subjective metanarratives, each vying for dominance within its information bubble. This is presented as a subjective reversal of the objectivity-driven modern journalism paradigm.

The findings challenge the conventional association between digital media and postmodernism in journalism studies. The article argues that the subjective narratives prevalent in online information ecosystems are not a rejection of objective truth, but rather a subjective manifestation of the modern search for absolute meaning, confined to the limits of particular online communities. This re-conceptualization of online journalism has implications for understanding the spread of misinformation and the polarization of public discourse. It highlights the crucial role of algorithmic processes in shaping online narratives and the need to consider the influence of platform logics on news production and consumption. The study emphasizes the need for further research on the intersection of algorithms, filter bubbles, and journalistic practices, particularly in comparative studies encompassing the Global South.

The article offers a novel framework for understanding the epistemology of online journalism, arguing that it represents a subjective fulfillment of modernism rather than a postmodern departure. This framework highlights the significant influence of algorithms and filter bubbles in shaping online narratives and challenges the conventional understanding of the relationship between digital media and postmodernism. Future research should investigate the implications of this new paradigm for journalistic practices, media literacy, and the fight against misinformation, particularly through comparative analyses that include the Global South and address the influence of varying access to information and digital literacy.

The article primarily presents a theoretical argument, lacking extensive empirical data. Its focus is predominantly on the Global North, acknowledging a need for further research to explore the applicability of its framework to other contexts, especially the Global South. The limited scope of the conceptual argument may not capture the full diversity of digital journalism practices.