Plattformen und neue Technologien im Journalismus: Ergebnisse einer Online-Befragung von Journalistinnen und Journalisten in Deutschland

TL;DR

This study surveys German journalists' platform use, technology adoption, and preferences, revealing differences between freelancers and employed journalists, with a focus on data protection, multimedia use, and future technology intentions.

Contribution

It provides new insights into German journalists' platform preferences, technology use, and future adoption intentions, highlighting differences based on employment status and emphasizing data protection standards.

Findings

Freelancers show higher commitment to journalism platforms than employed journalists.

Subscription models are preferred over advertising for platform funding.

Journalists are open to future use of multimedia and interactive elements, but rarely use AI tools.

Abstract

In an online survey in December 2020, 385 journalists in Germany were surveyed about platforms in journalism and about their frequency of use and willingness to adopt emerging technologies. Journalists have a commitment to publish on a journalism platform on a full-time basis. Freelancers have a higher commitment than employed journalists. A platform subscription model is rated more attractive than advertising for a platform. Employed journalists on the other hand consider advertising more attractive than freelance journalists. For German journalists it is important that the platform is developed in Europe or Germany and that it sets high standards on data protection. Multimedia forms and interactive elements are used occasionally, often or always. Stories or Reels are predominantly not used. AI software as well as editorial analytics are rarely or never used. Apart from stories or reels, journalists intend to use multimedia forms and interactive elements more often in the future. They are receptive to software for research process documentation as well as to the analysis of indicators of their own publications. Software as a support for text production, image selection or headline suggestions is mostly rejected.