Czech Readers between Benefits and Threats of the Algorithmic News Personalization

Abstract

The paper describes how news consumers imagine an ideal state of personalization and which improvements they suggest. Our analysis shows that they primarily perceive the phenomenon of news personalization as a loss of control over search mechanisms and information delivery. They perceive themselves as a weaker part of a relationship characterized by an increasing information asymmetry. We base this finding on our qualitative analysis of respondents’ attitudes towards news personalization. Its goal was threefold: to understand how news personalization affects consumers’ trust in this technology, identify the reasons for potential consumers’ mistrust, and describe what needs and competencies news consumers perceive as necessary for protecting their personal data. Respondents expressed doubts about personalization credibility and described the respective algorithms as a “black box.” The data shows that personalized news consumers are concerned about personal data management. They are also very skeptical about the possibility of exercising their rights with the help of existing regulations. The paper formulates recommendations for the best practices in providing personalized news that considers the shared responsibility of providers and consumers of online content.