Optimizing Content with A/B Headline Testing: Changing Newsroom Practices
Audience analytics are an increasingly essential part of the modern newsroom as publishers seek to maximize the reach and commercial potential of their content. On top of a wealth of audience data collected, algorithmic approaches can then be applied with an eye towards predicting and optimizing the...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cogitatio
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Media and Communication |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/1801 |
| _version_ | 1818014834213519360 |
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| author | Nick Hagar Nicholas Diakopoulos |
| author_facet | Nick Hagar Nicholas Diakopoulos |
| author_sort | Nick Hagar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Audience analytics are an increasingly essential part of the modern newsroom as publishers seek to maximize the reach and commercial potential of their content. On top of a wealth of audience data collected, algorithmic approaches can then be applied with an eye towards predicting and optimizing the performance of content based on historical patterns. This work focuses specifically on content optimization practices surrounding the use of A/B headline testing in newsrooms. Using such approaches, digital newsrooms might audience-test as many as a dozen headlines per article, collecting data that allows an optimization algorithm to converge on the headline that is best with respect to some metric, such as the click-through rate. This article presents the results of an interview study which illuminate the ways in which A/B testing algorithms are changing workflow and headline writing practices, as well as the social dynamics shaping this process and its implementation within US newsrooms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T06:49:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2583b124fca44a6f90a75d3195139033 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2183-2439 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T06:49:19Z |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | Cogitatio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Media and Communication |
| spelling | doaj.art-2583b124fca44a6f90a75d31951390332022-12-22T02:07:04ZengCogitatioMedia and Communication2183-24392019-02-017111712710.17645/mac.v7i1.1801960Optimizing Content with A/B Headline Testing: Changing Newsroom PracticesNick Hagar0Nicholas Diakopoulos1Department of Communication Studies, Northwestern University, USADepartment of Communication Studies, Northwestern University, USAAudience analytics are an increasingly essential part of the modern newsroom as publishers seek to maximize the reach and commercial potential of their content. On top of a wealth of audience data collected, algorithmic approaches can then be applied with an eye towards predicting and optimizing the performance of content based on historical patterns. This work focuses specifically on content optimization practices surrounding the use of A/B headline testing in newsrooms. Using such approaches, digital newsrooms might audience-test as many as a dozen headlines per article, collecting data that allows an optimization algorithm to converge on the headline that is best with respect to some metric, such as the click-through rate. This article presents the results of an interview study which illuminate the ways in which A/B testing algorithms are changing workflow and headline writing practices, as well as the social dynamics shaping this process and its implementation within US newsrooms.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/1801audience metricscontent optimizationdigital mediaheadline testingheadlines |
| spellingShingle | Nick Hagar Nicholas Diakopoulos Optimizing Content with A/B Headline Testing: Changing Newsroom Practices Media and Communication audience metrics content optimization digital media headline testing headlines |
| title | Optimizing Content with A/B Headline Testing: Changing Newsroom Practices |
| title_full | Optimizing Content with A/B Headline Testing: Changing Newsroom Practices |
| title_fullStr | Optimizing Content with A/B Headline Testing: Changing Newsroom Practices |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optimizing Content with A/B Headline Testing: Changing Newsroom Practices |
| title_short | Optimizing Content with A/B Headline Testing: Changing Newsroom Practices |
| title_sort | optimizing content with a b headline testing changing newsroom practices |
| topic | audience metrics content optimization digital media headline testing headlines |
| url | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/1801 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nickhagar optimizingcontentwithabheadlinetestingchangingnewsroompractices AT nicholasdiakopoulos optimizingcontentwithabheadlinetestingchangingnewsroompractices |