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< Back Ciao from EMMA in Rome! 5 Jun 2025 Our presentations at the emma Conference 2025 On the first day of the EMMA Conference, Aina, Hanne, and Pieter joined over 20 other PhD students from all over Europe for the inspiring PhD Workshop. In small groups, under the guidance of an experienced researcher, each student got the opportunity to present some issues related to their PhD track, delving into theoretical frameworks, methodological approaches, data analysis, the writing process, and mental challenges such as dealing with impostor syndrome, The diversity of research themes and perspectives is of great value to our three PhD’ers as their starting the third year of their track. The workshop provided room for deepening, exchange, and building a valuable network of fellow researchers. And of course, there was also time to enjoy the sunshine, have an espresso, Aperol Spritz, and taste some Italian delicacies! 😋🇮🇹🍕 The second day of the EMMA Conference was dominated by fascinating presentations, including that of our colleague Aina , who presented her research with great flair. Aina’s ongoing research (as part of the ALGEPI project ) investigates how Europe’s AI regulatory frameworks—ranging from the EU’s AI Act and European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) to UNESCO and Council of Europe guidelines and national AI strategies in Belgium, France, and Spain—are or are not reshaping newsroom governance. The goal of this research is to explore the intersection between regulation and journalism more closely trying to understand how AI regulation translates into newsroom realities across European contexts. Through a two‐step approach of document analysis and interviews with legal experts, media managers, and practitioners, she discussed the impact of both hard and soft law in the journalistic context as well as media‐tailored AI policies that balance compliance with editorial independence. Next to Aina’s insights, it was inspiring to hear from other research themes and get some findings from other studies. After a strong day at the conference, we had a chance to explore beautiful Rome and do some sightseeing. The day ended in style with a delicious buffet full of authentic Italian dishes.🍝🍦 On day three of the EMMA Conference, it was Hanne and Pieter's turn to present their research. Together, they gave an engaging joint presentation in which they shared a comparative analysis of how decision-making around recommender systems for media distribution is shaped in commercial media companies and public broadcasters. Building upon the framework of Smets et al (2022), they investigate how the strategic perspective on integrating recommender systems differs in profit-oriented organizations and PSM. By integrating their individual case studies, they offered valuable insights into the divergent strategic goals, recommendation purposes, and the implications for the recommender system design. The take-away? There are some similar strategic goals and recommendation purposes for editorial, commercial, and technological stakeholders in both types of media organizations. Nevertheless, the interpretation of concepts such as 'relevant' and 'engagement' differs based on the organizational cultures in profit-driven and public service media. Slide of presentation: Preliminary findings on shared overarching strategic goals and recommendation purposes For those who cannot get enough of Pieter , he also gave an individual presentation afterwards in which he elaborated on his case study work on Flemish public broadcaster VRT. With a focus on the tensions and possible conflicts that arise between stakeholders in the decision-making processes that shape the recommender system development, his presentation elaborated on the stakeholders involved at PSM and the implications of (dis) alignment of their strategic interests. His VRT deep dive hinted at the merits of a stronger involvement of indirect stakeholders for public service delivery and provided learnings on how PSM could tackle future structural integrations of technological innovations, for example, that of generative AI, which was a heavily debated topic at this conference. Previous Next

Latest updates 5 Jun 2025 Ciao from EMMA in Rome! Our presentations at the emma Conference 2025 Read More 22 May 2025 Talking about Stakeholder Perspectives at WMEMC Hanne presented her research on stakeholder alignment for news recommender system development Read More 19 May 2025 Second Annual ALGEPI Workshop Insights on AI, Innovation and Media Regulation Read More 31 Mar 2025 Looking back at IUI 2025 Ulysse attended the conference and presented at the AXAI workshop Read More 27 Mar 2025 Policy Brief on Public Service Media in Belgium Findings and recommendations on the organisational and cultural challenges facing PSM in Belgium Read More 4 Feb 2025 #Etmaal2025 Hanne looking back on her presentation on Stakeholder Alignment for News Recommender System (NRS) Implementation Read More 3 Feb 2025 Call for Papers Special Issue Special Issue on Public Service Media in the Age of Platforms Read More 27 Jan 2025 New Policy Brief: Streaming Public Service Television in the Age of Platforms Evaluating Public Service Media (PSM) in-house video-on-demand (VoD) services Read More 4 Nov 2024 New policy brief: International versus local VOD In a new policy brief and webinar, we present the findings of research on motivations of Flemish viewers Read More 1 Nov 2024 New report of the Fair MusE project New report "From Value Networks for Recorded Music to Music Ecosystem" Read More 28 Oct 2024 Diversity in VOD services: Seminar highlights from Madrid Throwback on the international seminar on diversity and VOD services Read More 23 Oct 2024 Looking back at RecSys 2024 Sharing our reflections on the ACM RecSys Conference 2024 Read More 16 Oct 2024 New research network for VOD research methods A new website with all there is to know about Video-on-Demand (VoD) research methods Read More 8 Oct 2024 The RecSys Conference 2024 Our contributions to the 18th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems Read More 1 Oct 2024 Our presentations at ECREA The SRP team presented their work at the ECREA 2024 Conference Read More 1 Oct 2024 Webinar: Streaming in Vlaanderen Ontdek alle trends en inzichten in ons webinar! Read More 24 Sept 2024 Workshop: Best Practices for Responsible News Recommender Design Our takeaways from the workshop part of the NWO-funded project "Rethinking news algorithms" Read More 20 Jun 2024 Presenting VRT's digital first strategy Preliminary findings of Pieter's case study: The digital-first strategy of VRT Read More 28 May 2024 Calling all music lovers! Help us by providing your music listening data Read More 19 Apr 2024 Media Industries Conference, London An overview of our presentations at Media Industries in London Read More

Unveiling groundbreaking research, innovative projects, and insights on Streaming, Recommender Systems, and Platformization (SRP) in European Media Markets. Streaming, Recommenders and Platformization in European Media Industries S trategic Research Programme at imec-SMIT, Vrije Universiteit Brussel SRP Media In our digital age, understanding the interplay between technology, society, and economics is crucial. Our research aims to analyze and ensure the economic and cultural sustainability of content production, aggregation, and consumption in an era of streaming, recommenders and platformization in European Media Industries. SRP Media is part of the Media Economics & Policy unit at imec-SMIT, Vrije Universiteit Brussel . Our research Latest news updates Ciao from EMMA in Rome! Talking about Stakeholder Perspectives at WMEMC Second Annual ALGEPI Workshop Policy Brief on Public Service Media in Belgium Looking back at IUI 2025 #Etmaal2025 Call for Papers Special Issue New Policy Brief: Streaming Public Service Television in the Age of Platforms More updates Contact us Pleinlaan 9, 1050 Brussels, Belgium Submit Thanks for your message!

< Back A glimpse into our work-in-progress 12 Feb 2024 Reflections on the research presented at Etmaal On Thursday 8th and Friday 9th February 2024, Hanne Vandenbroucke and Ulysse Maes attended the 26th edition of Etmaal van Communicatiewetenschap in Rotterdam. At this two-day conference, researchers from Communication Sciences in Belgium and The Netherlands unite to present their projects, get feedback from peers, and be inspired by the work of others. They were invited to present their work-in-progress during the Research Escalator. In this blogpost we highlight the key take-aways from their presentations. Multi-stakeholder approach to news personalization - Hanne Vandenbroucke What lies behind the "For you", "Read more" or "See also" sections on the website or mobile app of your favorite news brand? By conducting stakeholder interviews with professionals working in commercial news organizations operating in Flanders: DPG Media, Mediahuis and Mediafin; We aim to map the development and implementation of recommender systems. The key internal stakeholder groups involved in and impacted by news recommender systems are: (1) the newsroom, (2) the technical development, and (3) the commercial business unit. Based on the stakeholder interviews, we are able to build upon the multi-stakeholder framework of Smets et al. (2022) . The preliminary results give insights in the actual decision-making process for recommender development. News organisations started experimenting with a news recommender system on average 3 years ago. The initial process of trial and error had transformed into an ongoing cycle of adjusting the RS design. In practice both the newsroom and the business unit express their objectives, preconditions and concerns to the product owner who aligns the different perspectives and formulates a concrete set of goals. Next, the technology development team will operationalize these objectives into computational metrics and adjust the recommender system design. Performance data is continuously being collected and monitored. A feedback loop set up to communicate the results of the adjusted recommender to the product owner who – together with the data analytics team – derives insights from the data and report back to the business unit and newsrooms. Exploring the influence of misleading explanations on the perceived quality of recommender systems – Ulysse Maes Nowadays, recommender systems are everywhere: you find them on Amazon, on Netflix and Spotify, for example. These algorithmic curation systems help internet users to efficiently navigate through vast amounts of content. While holding clear advantages in terms of user experience, there are some limitations and normative concerns. One of these concerns stems from the limited transparency they provide. This may lead to distrust and frustration. Adding explanations may yield different results, which depend on your objectives. (Tintarev & Masthoff, 2007) suggest seven goals of explainable recommendations: effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, scrutability, transparency, trust, and persuasiveness. Note that maximizing for one goal might be beneficial for another (e.g. improving for scrutability- giving users the ability to change the outcomes to their liking- might improve satisfaction). However, optimizing for one goal might also harm other goals. This research specificially dives into the possible conflict between optimizing for persuasiveness and its effects on transparency and trust. By “optimizing for persuasiveness”, we mean creating compelling narratives to persuade users to consume recommended content. For example, when you buy a pair of jeans online, the shop can try to upsell by recommending some white t-shirts and explain the recommendations as “Style advice for the perfect shirt to wear on your new jeans.” A more neutral explanation could be: “Customers also bought.” Persuasion in itself is not problematic, but it might become problematic once it becomes misleading: hiding important information or even lying about the working of the system, or the drivers behind a decision. As explanations are often linked to a conception of transparency, both with end-users and academia, the mere presence of explanations can already lead to increased trust in the system. By crafting compelling but incorrect explanations, it might be possible to manipulate users into consuming certain content, while still giving them a feeling of agency. There are clearly some incentives to create misleading explanations. But do they work? Theory is still inconclusive. While some research mentions the effectiveness of personalized persuasion (Burtell & Woodside, 2023), others highlight the detrimental effects on long-term trust: would platforms really jeopardize this? Another argument against the effectiveness of misleading explanations is that the costs don’t outweigh the benefits – a critique sometimes formulated on explanations in general as well. The field of explainable AI recognizes the immense potential of Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, to generate personalized, dynamic explanations at scale. It has already been shown that these explanations can be more persuasive than human-generated texts. One of the reasons why we do not see LLM-generated explanations popping up everywhere, is because of their tendency to “hallucinate” - to make up plausible, but incorrect narratives. Previous Next

< Back News Recommenders in Small Media Markets Hanne Vandenbroucke PhD Researcher In a four-year doctoral journey, my research delves into the implementation of recommender systems within news organizations through the lens of media strategies. This comprehensive exploration is divided into two key phases, addressing distinct facets of this transformative technological landscape. 1. Strategic Decision-Making Processes The initial phase of my research centers on unraveling the strategic decision-making processes in the development and implementation of recommender systems within news organizations. Drawing on a multi-stakeholder and multi-objectives framework, scrutinizing the complexities surrounding the strategies in commercial news organizations. From a multi-stakeholder perspective, this research identifies diverse entities such as newsrooms, technology departments, and marketing teams, each holding unique objectives and values. This framework allows to dissect conflicts, trade-offs, and (mis)conceptions that shape the strategic landscape, offering insights into how recommender systems align with overarching organizational goals. 2. User Journeys and Experiences In a second phase the focus shifts towards a user-centric perspective. This stage of the research aims to map user journeys and experiences and examine the added value brought about by recommender systems in the realm of news consumption. By closely examining interaction touchpoints, user preferences, and experiences, I seek to uncover the nuanced ways in which recommender systems influence and enhance the user journey. This comprehensive, dual-phased approach reflects the goal of this PhD to comprehensively understand the role of recommender systems in news organizations. By blending strategic decision-making perspectives with an in-depth exploration of user experiences, my research aims to not only contribute to the academic discourse surrounding media strategies but also offer actionable insights for news organizations navigating the dynamic landscape of digital news consumption. Publications It’s (Not) All About That CTR: a Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on News Recommender Metrics 01/09/2024 Towards a Pragmatic Approach for studying Normative Recommender Systems 18/09/2023 Supervisors Pieter Ballon Full Professor Annelien Smets Research Professor Related news 2 Ciao from EMMA in Rome! Our presentations at the emma Conference 2025 2 Talking about Stakeholder Perspectives at WMEMC Hanne presented her research on stakeholder alignment for news recommender system development 2 Second Annual ALGEPI Workshop Insights on AI, Innovation and Media Regulation Previous Next

< Back Pieter Ballon Full Professor pieter.ballon@vub.be Professor Pieter Ballon is Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences, director of imec-SMIT and Vice-Rector of Research at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He is also co-founder of the European Network of Living Labs and of the Hannah Arendt Institute. Prof. Ballon holds a PhD in Communication Sciences and an MA in Modern History. He is the co-founder of the European Network of Living Labs, the Open Agile Smart Cities network and the Hannah Arendt Institute. From 2017 to 2021, he was the VUB Academic Chair on Smart Cities. His expertise lies in Digital Platforms, Business Model Innovation and Smart Cities, on the subject of which he has a.o. published the popular book “Smart Cities : hoe technologie onze steden leefbaar houdt en slimmer maakt” . Visit my research profile

< Back Catalina Iordache Guest Professor catalina.iordache@vub.be Coming from an Eastern European background, my life completely changed in the early 1990’s when the colours and fast-moving images of cable TV reached our living room, and I experienced an instant fascination with film, television programmes and music videos. Through my studies, I became interested in the market forces behind audiovisual media and the cross-border flow of content. At SMIT, I have the opportunity to apply qualitative methods in investigating the production and distribution of content, as well as its consumption by diverse audiences. I have been working at imec-SMIT-VUB since 2014, where I obtained my PhD on the transnational flow of media content in the online environment in 2022. I am currently conducting postdoctoral research on the platformisation of Public Service Media (PSM) and am also a Guest Professor and co-titular of the course Media, Culture and Globalisation Theories, for the Digital Media in Europe Master’s programme at the VUB. During my time at SMIT, I have also conducted research on the topics of media literacy, digital literacy and e-inclusion, and acted as Teaching Assistant for the Bachelor in Social Sciences programme. Before joining academia, I worked as a project manager in the cultural field with a community arts organisation based in Edinburgh. I then moved to Brussels and followed the international MSc in Communication Studies at the VUB. I also hold a BA in International Relations, European Studies. Visit my research profile

< Back Serendipity Engine SBO We increasingly rely on algorithmically generated recommendations to navigate in both online and offline contexts: listening to music on streaming platforms, reading news online, or following recommendations about activities and events in your favorite city. These recommender systems help us dealing with the abundance of available information, but at the same time raise questions about their impact on individual citizens and society. Many advocate for designs for serendipity in recommenders, but what does this mean in practice? While serendipity is generally understood as a beneficial design principle ought to deliver societal value, putting it into practice still presents major challenges. The Serendipity Engine project sets out to address these challenges and support societal stakeholders in designing recommender systems to foster serendipity in public contexts. Researchers on this project Lien Michiels Postdoctoral Researcher Brett Binst PhD Researcher Annelien Smets Research Professor Consortium partners SBO_ IDLAB.png SBO_ ADREM.png SBO_ IMEC.png SBO_ IDLAB.png 1/3 Tags Recommenders, Artificial Intelligence, Smart City, Diversity and Serendipity Previous Next

< Back Media policymaking and multistakeholder involvement: Matching audience, stakeholder and government expectations for public service media in Flanders Van den Bulck, H. & Raats, T. (2023). Media policymaking and multistakeholder involvement: Matching audience, stakeholder and government expectations for public service media in Flanders. European Journal of Communication , 38 (2), 132-147. https://doi.org/10.1177/02673231221112199 This contribution analyzes government, opposition, public service media, media stakeholders and audience views regarding the role and remit of public service media in the run-up to and their impact on the renewal of the 2021–2025 management contract between public broadcaster VRT and the Flemish Government. Results show that, despite a shifting media ecosystem and academics and government pushing for fundamental reform, audiences and most stakeholders’ views stick to a centralised, broad and multiplatform public media institution. Moreover, they expect public service media to solve ever more media and societal issues (e.g. fake news) within a shrinking budget. The case illustrates how mature, evidence-based multistakeholderism pushes public service media to meet an increasingly challenging set of expectations, hampers both public service media and government to build a well-balanced, long-term vision of public service media's role and, instead, pushes them to pursue their own agenda. Lastly, an evidence-based process also suffers from issues of validity of the data. Stakeholders, Platforms, Public Service Media Previous Read the article Next

< Back Annelien Smets Research Professor Annelien.Smets@vub.be Annelien is a senior researcher at SMIT in the Media Economics and Policy unit. Her research centers around personalization and recommender systems, and their value in media markets. Annelien holds a PhD in Media and Communication Studies (VUB) on the topic of serendipity in recommender systems and smart cities. She holds a master’s degree in Information Management (2016) and Artificial Intelligence (2017) from KU Leuven. Currently, Annelien is Research Professor at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, where she teaches courses on media economics, digital economics, digital business models, and digital innovation management. She is also co-chair of the Serendipity Academic Researchers Network, part of the Serendipity Society. Visit my research profile

< Back New report of the Fair MusE project 1 Nov 2024 New report "From Value Networks for Recorded Music to Music Ecosystem" The latest report from the Fair MusE Project - "From Value Networks for Recorded Music to Music Ecosystem" - dives deep into how Music Streaming Services (MSS) and User-Generated Content (UGC) platforms are reshaping the music industry’s value landscape. This shift in the industry is about more than just a digital transformation; it's fundamentally changing how power, access, and revenue flow through the music ecosystem. A New Layer of Gatekeeping With the rise of MSS platforms like Spotify and UGC platforms like YouTube, traditional routes for accessing and promoting music have been redefined. These platforms now serve as powerful gatekeepers, determining which artists and tracks gain visibility. This influence reshapes who has control over exposure and, ultimately, success. Rather than simply distributing music, these platforms filter content through algorithms, strategically showcasing certain songs while others remain hidden, based on complex calculations that prioritize user engagement and platform profits. Navigating and negotiating the new landscape Despite the power of these platforms, traditional stakeholders, particularly major record labels, are finding ways to adapt. Labels are leveraging their vast artist rosters and music catalogues to secure valuable partnerships with MSS and UGC platforms. By doing so, they maintain a degree of influence over what listeners see and hear, reinforcing the competitive dynamics in the industry. The relationships between labels and streaming platforms can be seen as a balancing act, as both sides negotiate control, exposure, and revenue shares. A shift from value networks to a music ecosystem Approaching the music industry as an interconnected ecosystem reveals the complex interdependence between streaming and UGC platforms, labels, artists, and audiences. This ecosystem perspective helps contextualize the ongoing evolution, but it also exposes fairness concerns. For example, algorithmic curation tends to spotlight content from major labels, reinforcing their dominance. The current payout models on platforms like Spotify and YouTube often favor big players, leaving smaller artists and independent labels in a more precarious position. ➜ Full Report If these insights spark your interest, the Fair MusE report also has a systematic review of academic literature on music streaming including case studies on both Spotify and YouTube. For the full tracklist of findings and analysis, check out the complete Fair MusE report: https://fairmuse.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/D3.1_Value-Networks.pdf Previous Next

< Back The RecSys Conference 2024 8 Oct 2024 Our contributions to the 18th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems From 14 until 18 October 2024, the 18th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems takes place in Bari, Italy. Our SRP Media researchers have various contributions to this conference, as well as the preceding ACM Europe School on Recommender Systems . ACM Europe School on Recommender Systems 2024 During the ACM Europe School on Recommender Systems, leaders in the field give lectures on the practice, research, and state of the art in Recommender Systems. This year, there will be 120 attendees among which 90 students. Click here for the full program . On Tuesday 8 Octobe r, Lien Michiels will teach a lecture on Best Practices for Offline Evaluation . On Friday 11 October, Annelien Smets lectures a course on Digital Economics and Recommender Systems . The ACM Europe School on Recommender Syste ms is organized by Ludovico Boratto (University of Cagliari, Italy) , Cataldo Musto (University of Bari, Italy) , and Fedelucio Narducci (Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy) . How to Evaluate Serendipity in Recommender Systems: the Need for a Serendiptionnaire GenUI(ne) CRS: UI Elements and Retrieval-Augmented Generation in Conversational Recommender Systems with LLMs [demo] It’s (not) all about that CTR: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on News Recommender Metrics Navigating Discoverability in the Digital Era: a Theoretical Framework Workshop on Normative Design and Evaluation of Recommender Systems (NORMalize) Previous Next