Algorithmic gatekeepers: The democratic consequences of news selection algorithms

The news which citizens see and read is increasingly determined by algorithms. On social media like YouTube and Facebook, algorithms act as gatekeepers and automatically select, sort and prioritize what is presented to the audience. While broad concerns have been raised about the political and societal consequences of these algorithms, empirical research is still scarce and fragmented. Therefore, the purpose of this Semper Ardens project is to write a pioneering book which, for the first time, presents a coherent framework of algorithmic gatekeeping and its democratic consequences, based on a multi-perspective empirical analysis. Building on data from a multi-year project analyzing Facebook, YouTube, Google News and online discussion forums, the book analyzes the impact of algorithms on the spread and diversity of public information and on the quality of public debate. Ultimately, the book will propose guidelines for users, policy makers and social media platforms to mitigate negative effects of algorithmic gatekeeping and strengthen positive effects.