Chapter 4 - Conclusions

The final chapter summarises the effects that algorithmic gatekeeping has on the type of information that ultimately reaches the audiences. Throughout this paper, we have analysed a number of factors that influence the way algorithms filter knowledge, and have hopefully made the case that there is a difference in the mediascape offering when human mediators are replaced with algorithmic gatekeeping. Although the examples this paper analyses give an idea of which content will be preferred or removed, this thesis doesn’t aim to answer the qualitative question of how exactly the information will be different: it instead focuses on demonstrating two things: that a change has already happened, and that it is hard to say exactly what will be the difference.