Reconstructing Journalism in the Age of AI: An Analysis of Technological Integration and Media Transformation

Abstract

This thesis critically examines how artificial intelligence (AI), as embedded in platform infrastructures, is reshaping the epistemic, professional, and civic dimensions of journalism. Using Toutiao, China’s leading AI-powered news aggregator, as a case study, the research explores how algorithmic systems govern news production, editorial visibility, and user engagement. Rather than treating AI as a neutral technological innovation, the study positions it as a transformative force that reorganizes journalistic labor, redefines public discourse, and fragments the shared space of media consumption. Drawing on platform documents, interface texts, and content regulation frameworks, the thesis employs thematic and critical discourse analysis to uncover the structural logic of AI- mediated journalism. The findings reveal that editorial authority is increasingly absorbed by opaque recommendation systems; that journalists are reconfigured as data-responsive content operators; and that users are trained into algorithmically segmented behavioral niches. These shifts challenge journalism’s traditional role as a civic institution and raise urgent questions about transparency, accountability, and informational equity. By situating these developments within the broader context of media ecology and platform governance, the thesis contributes to a deeper understanding of how AI not only augments news production, but fundamentally alters the cultural logic and societal function of journalism in the digital age.