Artificial Intelligence and Journalism: A Systematic Bibliometric and Thematic Analysis of Global Research

TL;DR

This paper systematically reviews global research on AI in journalism from 2010 to 2025, highlighting trends, ethical debates, and regional disparities through bibliometric and thematic analyses.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive bibliometric and thematic synthesis of AI in journalism research, identifying key trends, ethical concerns, and regional disparities.

Findings

Research activity increased sharply after 2020

Focus on automation, misinformation, and ethics

Persistent concerns over bias and transparency

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping journalistic practices across the globe, offering new opportunities while raising ethical, professional, and societal concerns. This study presents a comprehensive systematic review of published articles on AI in journalism from 2010 to 2025. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines, a total of 72 peer-reviewed articles were selected from Scopus and Web of Science databases. The analysis combines bibliometric mapping and qualitative thematic synthesis to identify dominant trends, technologies, geographical distributions, and ethical debates. Additionally, sentiment analysis was performed on article abstracts using the Valence Aware Dictionary and sEntiment Reasoner (VADER) algorithm to capture evaluative tones across the literature. The findings show a sharp increase in research activity after 2020, with prominent focus areas including automation, misinformation, and ethical governance. While most studies reflect cautious optimism, concerns over bias, transparency, and accountability remain persistent. The review also highlights regional disparities in scholarly contributions, with limited representation from the Global South. By integrating quantitative and qualitative insights, this study offers a multi-dimensional understanding of how AI is transforming journalism and proposes future research directions for inclusive and responsible innovation.