Anticipatory news infrastructures: Seeing journalism's expectations of future publics in its sociotechnical systems. (September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ananny, Mike; Finn, Megan
• Other Names: Lohmeier Christine guest-editor.; Kaun Anne guest-editor.; Pentzold Christian guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: New media & society. Volume 22:Number 9(2020)
• Page Start: 1600
• Page End: 1618
• Publication Date: 2020-09
• Subjects: Anticipation -- digital online journalism -- infrastructure -- news production -- press technology -- sociotechnical public -- time; Mass media -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Mass media and culture -- Periodicals; Information technology -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Internet -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; 302.2305
• DOI: 10.1177/1461444820914873
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1461-4448

Abstract

To understand news rhythms, scholars have primarily studied how the rituals and routines of news organizations align with the practices and expectations of audiences. The rhythms of today's networked press, though, are set not only by journalists and consumers but also by largely invisible digital infrastructures: software, data, and technologies from outside newsrooms that are increasingly intertwined with journalistic work. Here, we argue that the rhythms of the contemporary, networked press live in the materials, practices, and values of hybrid, time-setting sociotechnical systems, a new concept we call anticipatory news infrastructure. We explicate this concept through a typology of sociotechnical dynamics, showing how the networked press is poised to sense events, structure journalistic work, predict and commodify traffic, architect audience relations, and categorize content. We argue that these infrastructures anticipate possible public life, thus creating anticipation publics through their largely invisible power to shape expectations of journalists and audiences alike.