‘A Part of Our Work Disappeared’: AI Automated Publishing in Social Media Journalism

Abstract

This study explores the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in social media journalism. We apply a labour process approach to examine why German newspaper editors adopt AI publishing and how it influences journalistic work. Automated publishing services (APSs) are used in newsrooms to select, edit, and publish content on social media platforms. In-depth interviews with German news editors revealed that the reasons for implementing APSs include economic dependence on platforms, the centralisation of news roles, and the intensification of work. Furthermore, resistance to fully automated social media publishing in some newsrooms has resulted in semi- or hybrid-automated approaches. Resistance is primarily expressed through concerns over the loss of editorial control, content diversity, and the quality of user engagement.

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