Damian Trilling began his career as a journalist at a regional newspaper in Westphalia, where he wrote on a wide range of topics during his studies: from choir gatherings to local politics. That experience gave him a close-up view of how journalism was changing. “The arrival of the digital camera was the beginning. Everyone thought: I can do that too. We don’t need to send along a photographer anymore,” Trilling recalls. This technological shift coincided with declining interest in local newspapers, increasing audience mobility, and a wait-and-see attitude within editorial offices and publishing houses. “They tried to sit it out,” he notes. The consequences were profound: many journalists lost their jobs. Trilling decided to take a different path and turned to academia.
Fragmented Media Use
Today’s media use is highly fragmented. News no longer comes exclusively from the evening news or the newspaper. An article shared on social media may originate from de Volkskrant or NRC, but the recipient also encounters posts from, for example, nu.nl or GeenStijl. “It becomes a kind of mix,” says Trilling. “And that leads to a greater influence of metrics: clicks, shares, and engagement not only determine how news spreads but also influence how journalists do their work. They have a strong incentive to write pieces in ways that will perform well on social media.”
Keeping Up with Change
Scientific research must therefore also adapt, Trilling argues. Traditional quantitative and qualitative methods fall short in today’s media landscape. “You can no longer simply ask: how many days per week do you read the newspaper? Because that’s not how people consume news anymore.” At the same time, he warns, it’s naïve to assume people remember exactly where they saw something. “If someone asks me now what I saw on social media today? I have no idea. It’s just so much.”
More Creative Research Methods
That is why Trilling advocates for new, more creative research methods. One example is the work of his colleague Tim Groot Kormelink, who collects browser and app data and then discusses it with participants. “That way you can not only interpret the data more accurately but also prevent people from giving answers that don’t match reality.”
A Broader Role
Trilling’s team develops its own news platforms and algorithms. This broadens the role of journalism scholars considerably. “You have to incorporate technical aspects into your work. Not everyone will like that, but I don’t think we have a choice if we want to remain part of the conversation. So much is happening, especially abroad.”
Beyond Clicks
As an example, he cites the Norwegian public broadcaster, which uses ChatGPT-generated summaries and a personalized website linked to a news recommendation system. “The most important question then is: how do you design such a system in a way that not only generates clicks but also reflects the values of a public broadcaster? Clicks aren’t unimportant, but they shouldn’t be the only measure. As scientists, we need to think about how to make things better. We can’t go back to a time when everyone received the same news. And if algorithms are here to stay, then let’s use them in ways that strengthen public debate and safeguard journalistic values.”
All programming codes, data, and analyses from Trilling and his team are always made available as open source—unless ethical concerns or privacy issues make this impossible. “Others must be able to use them, whether they are other researchers or people in journalism practice.”
Ten Years Ahead
What will the media landscape look like in ten years? Trilling is cautiously optimistic. “Some people think we won’t need journalists anymore because ChatGPT can write everything. That’s far too pessimistic.” Certain tasks may disappear or change, but the core function of journalism will remain, especially investigative reporting. “That remains essential for society.”
Opportunities
“In the coming years, we mainly need to figure out how journalism relates to platforms like social media,” Trilling says. “That’s irreversible.” At the same time, he sees opportunities: “Since Musk’s takeover of Twitter and the rise of TikTok, things are shifting again. Five years ago, Facebook and Twitter seemed untouchable. Now there is room to rethink how publishers and broadcasters can reduce their dependence on tech companies.” Policy developments such as the EU’s AI Act and Digital Services Act could help. “Hopefully, ten years from now, we can look back at a period of technological turbulence that ultimately led to a better, more orderly media landscape.”