Data Exchanges in Mobile News Apps

Aske Kammer, Filip Wallberg

Research output: Contribution to conference - NOT published in proceeding or journalConference abstract for conferenceResearchpeer-review

Abstract

This paper maps the flows of data to and from third-party actors when users access content in mobile news apps. This way, it analyzes the strategic networks of collaboration and data exchange that news organizations engage in in the digital economy, expanding the traditional two-sided model of media economics (centered around sales to audiences and advertisers) to also account for what happens “behind the curtain”. Research already shows that the trade with data constitutes a central component of web-based business models (Evens & Van Damme, 2016; Gerlitz & Helmond, 2013; Lindskow, 2016), but no systematic scrutiny of the same phenomenon exists with regards to mobile news use even though the use of mobile platforms for news accessing increases these years (Newman, Levy, & Nielsen, 2015). This study measures all calls made by the news apps upon accessing content, mapping which third-party actors get data from the app use. It compares central news apps across six Western democracies (Denmark, Germany, Italy, Portugal, the UK, and the USA) in order to examine whether media-systemic features (Hallin & Mancini, 2004) and privacy legislation influences data exchanges.
Original languageEnglish
Publication date2016
Publication statusPublished - 2016
EventSMiD's Biannual Meeting, 2016: The Social in the Media, the Media in the Social - Hindsgavl Castle, Middelfart, Denmark
Duration: 27 Oct 201628 Oct 2016
http://www.smid.dk/2016/05/10/smids-aarsmoede-2016/

Conference

ConferenceSMiD's Biannual Meeting, 2016
LocationHindsgavl Castle
Country/TerritoryDenmark
CityMiddelfart
Period27/10/201628/10/2016
Internet address

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