From assumed public to real public: The influence of the metrics on the editorial decisions of online media

Abstract

This paper tries to answer a question that has become paramount in the online scenario: how do the audience influences editorial decisions in a news organization. To answer this particular question, the present work begins by introducing the key concept of Web metrics. This is followed by a literature review which explains the gatekeeping and gatewatcher processes, expanding issues related to the measurability of the audience in Web journalism. The empirical part of the work consists of the analysis of interviews with journalists from five newspapers in Portugal and Brazil. The findings indicate that the editorial choices in online publications are the result of a process in which the professional culture and public preferences (expressed in the interpretation of Web metrics) are used in a balanced way.