Abstract

Computational journalism has burst into the intense panorama of journalistic innovations, due to its great impact potential on newsrooms. Given the recent implantation of this specialty, still in the experimental phase in the newsrooms that have incorporated it, in this work we present an exploratory result on computational journalism, at the same time that we relate it with well-established variations of journalism, such as data journalism. The work has been carried out from the review of the main reports on this matter, as well as from a series of case studies. The results can help both to focus new research in this field, and to complete the panorama of innovation for professionals and researchers in the sector who need to have a global vision of the impact that computer journalism can have.

Abstract

The perception that exists in the professional and academic sector about the use of artificial intelligence in journalism is analyzed. The work has been developed over eleven months through interviews with heads of innovation from several national media (N=10) and university professors (N=10) and questionnaires to journalists (N=251) and students of Journalism and Audiovisual Communication (N=194). The results show a coincidence in both discourses in that this technology will not have a negative impact on the journalistic labor market. There is also a consensus that the quality of automated news presents some important shortcomings, as well as the need to bet on a solid training of journalists that integrates the use of emerging technologies.