{"id":48801,"date":"2019-07-25T03:49:07","date_gmt":"2019-07-25T10:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/world.edu\/?p=48801"},"modified":"2019-07-25T03:49:07","modified_gmt":"2019-07-25T10:49:07","slug":"facebook-algorithm-changes-suppressed-journalism-and-meddled-with-democracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/facebook-algorithm-changes-suppressed-journalism-and-meddled-with-democracy\/","title":{"rendered":"Facebook algorithm changes suppressed journalism and meddled with democracy"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nFacebook\u2019s\u00a0News Feed algorithm<\/a>\u00a0determines\u00a0what users see<\/a>\u00a0on its platform \u2013 from funny memes to comments from friends. The company\u00a0regularly<\/a>\u00a0updates<\/a>\u00a0this algorithm, which can dramatically change what information people consume.<\/p>\n

As the 2020 election approaches, there is much public concern that what was dubbed \u201cRussian meddling<\/a>\u201d in the 2016 presidential election could happen again. But what\u2019s not getting enough attention is the role Facebook\u2019s algorithm changes play,\u00a0intentionally or not<\/a>, in that kind of meddling.<\/p>\n

A key counterpoint to the Russian misinformation campaign was factual journalism from reputable sources \u2013 which\u00a0reached many of their readers on Facebook and other social media platforms<\/a>. As a\u00a0social media researcher and educator<\/a>, I see evidence that changes to Facebook\u2019s News Feed algorithm suppressed users\u2019 access to credible journalism in the run-up to Trump\u2019s election.<\/p>\n

Political operatives know Facebook serves as a gatekeeper of the information diets of\u00a0more than 200 million Americans<\/a>\u00a0and 2 billion users worldwide. Actions and abuse by others on the platforms have generated much concern and public discussion, including about how much\u00a0disinformation and propaganda Americans saw<\/a>\u00a0before the election. What has not been talked about enough is the effect that Facebook\u2019s algorithmic shifts have had on access to news and democracy.<\/p>\n

Changing the system<\/h4>\n

In mid-2015<\/a>, Facebook introduced a major algorithm change that pivoted readers\u00a0away from journalism and news<\/a>, to deliver more updates from their friends and family. The change was couched in friendly language suggesting Facebook was trying to make sure users\u00a0didn\u2019t miss stories from friends<\/a>. But social media data shows that one effect of the change was to reduce the number of interactions Facebook users had with credible journalism outlets.<\/p>\n

A few months before the 2016 election, an\u00a0even bigger algorithm change toward friends and family posts<\/a>\u00a0took a second toll on publisher traffic. A\u00a0wide range of news publishers<\/a>\u00a0found that their content was\u00a0significantly less visible<\/a>\u00a0to Facebook users.<\/p>\n

Examining the numbers<\/h4>\n

In my research, I looked at Facebook engagement for mainstream news outlets surrounding the 2016 election. My findings support others\u2019 conclusions that Facebook\u2019s\u00a0algorithm greatly suppressed public engagement with these publishers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Data from CrowdTangle, a social media monitoring company, shows that Facebook traffic dropped noticeably at CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, The New York Times and The Washington Post after the company updated its algorithms to\u00a0favor friends and family<\/a>\u00a0in June 2016.<\/p>\n

That proves the algorithm worked the way it was designed to work, but I am concerned that major U.S. publishers were suppressed in this way. Voter interest in the presidential election was\u00a0higher in 2016 than in the previous two decades<\/a>, and misinformation was rampant. Facebook\u2019s changes meant that key news organizations across the political spectrum had a harder time getting the word out about credible election news and reporting.<\/p>\n