The new order of news and social media enterprises: visualisations, linked data, and new methods and practices in journalism

Abstract

Various data methods used in newsgathering and news production require knowledge of software to create visualisations and to work with social media apps. Many changes that are redefining news and journalism are also due to data methods at the back end of media systems. This paper introduces data journalism and progresses to important points about linked data and strategic social media news partnerships. It shows how data centric and entrepreneurial shifts in news media have also contributed to the fragmentation of journalism. At the start of the twenty-first century, Tim Berners-Lee envisaged linked data, known as Web 3.0, as a base for semantic search engines and sharing resources. However, linked data are now used in unimaginable ways, especially across social media news enterprises, media corporations, and advertising. The use of data in newsgathering also extends to smartphones, streaming media, and unmanned aerial vehicles, which add to the complexities and tensions in contemporary journalism and news media.