In recent times, the field of journalism has found itself at a crossroads, grappling with the conflicting principles of two competing models - the Trustee Model which embodies the ideology of professional journalism, and the Market Model which leans towards tailoring content to audience preferences.

In this hybrid seminar, Asst. Prof Subhayan Mukerjee addressed this “tension”, and argued that our increasing reliance on social media for news may be leading journalism towards the Market Model, away from the Trustee Model. The seminar recordings are available below:

• Welcome address by Dr Wu Shangyuan. View video
• Presentation by Asst. Prof Subhayan Mukerjee. View video

Group photo at innovation 4.0

More specifically, Asst. Prof Mukerjee presented his findings from a study to test the hypothesis that media outlets may be using social media metrics as indicators of audience preferences to decide what content to prioritise in the future. He also delved into whether media responsiveness is contingent on the type of content being produced, and the partisanship or the ideological slant of the media outlet.

Speaker Asst. Prof Mukerjee (Left) and Moderator Dr Wu Shangyuan (Right)

Asst. Prof Mukerjee was joined by Dr Wu Shangyuan who facilitated a lively discussion. The audience gained valuable insights into how social media platforms shaped journalistic practices, and its implications for the future landscape of journalism in the United States.

Participants joined the seminar either in-person or virtually on Zoom