< Back 1 Mar 2024 Report of the Living Lab project Discover the first deliverable of the Streaming Affordances for Small Media Markets living Lab project, in which the research team outlines 10 key trends in the international streaming market that have an impact on developments in the Flemish market (the report is in Dutch). The 10 trends highlight a diversification of genre and payment modules, and a quest of streamers for revenue and profit rather than market dominance and number of subscribers. Trendrapport voor 'proeftuin Streaming Affordances for Small Media Markets .pdf Download PDF • 3.74MB Previous Next 10 trends in streaming market

< Back 15 Aug 2023 Get inspired at the first Dutch-Belgian Workshop on Recommender Systems Get ready for the first Dutch-Belgian Workshop on Recommender Systems (DBWRS)! On 14 and 15 December 2023, researchers and practitioners gather in the beautiful city of Antwerp for a two-day workshop to to explore and discuss the latest advancements, challenges, and opportunities in the field of recommender systems. DBWRS is a collaborative event bridging diverse field such as computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, psychology, communication, and more! Together we spark innovative and interdisciplanary approaches that enhance user experiences, empower perzonalization and contribute to the growing field of recomemnder systems. We invite you to join us at DBWRS 2023! Share your insights, connect with other researchers and practitioners and get inspired by experts. See you in Antwerp on 14 & 15 December 2023. www.dbwrs23.be Previous Next Join us at DBWRS 2023

< Back 3 Feb 2025 Special Issue on Public Service Media in the Age of Platforms A new special issue of Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies , edited by Hanne Bruun, Catherine Johnson, Tim Raats , and Vilde Schanke Sundet, seeks to explore the challenges traditional PSM organisations are facing in audience retention, content production, and platform dependency. While much research has focused on the political and economic dimensions of platformisation, there remains a significant gap in comparative studies of the organisational practices and cultural outputs of PSM organisations worldwide. This special issue aims to address this gap by adopting a comparative lens. The editors invite contributions that examine PSM through comparative methodologies, including cross-national studies, comparisons across policy, organisational practices, and cultural production, and mixed-method approaches. Submissions that go beyond Western-centric perspectives are especially encouraged. Suggested Topics Include: Comparative analysis of changing organisational cultures in PSM PSM commissioning, publishing, and distribution practices in different contexts Cross-platform and cross-national comparisons of PSM programming and content Mixed-method approaches to understanding PSM policy, production, and texts Theoretical and methodological innovations in comparative PSM research Key Dates: Abstract submission deadline: 4 April 2025 (500-750 words) Notification of acceptance: 5 May 2025 Full article submission deadline: 22 September 2025 Researchers interested in contributing should submit their abstracts to PSMspecialissue@leeds.ac.uk . This is a unique opportunity to contribute to an urgent and timely discussion on the evolving role of PSM in the platform era. Don't miss this opportunity to share your research! ⏩️ https://psm-ap.com/comparative-approaches-to-public-service-media-in-the-age-of-platforms/ Previous Next Call for Papers Special Issue

< Back 16 Jun 2023 Our key takeaways from the Recommender Systems Summer School in Copenhagen From 12 to 16 June, several researchers from the Media Economics & Policy Unit took part in the Recommender Systems Summer School in Copenhagen. During this Summer School, academics and industry leaders lectured on the practice, research, and state of the art in recommender systems. The lectures covered a broad range of topics from an algorithmic as well as a methodological perspective, including hands-on sessions. This week brought many interesting insights for our strategic research program on recommender systems and this short report highlights some of the key takeaways. Not an algorithm, but a system Recommender systems encompass more than just the algorithm itself. They require the thoughtful implementation of (a combination of several) algorithms that align with specific domain objectives, account for optimal user experience in different contexts, and seek to create mutual value for various stakeholders It is crucial to recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to recommender systems. The strategy employed must be tailored to the specific domain in which the system operates, considering the unique objectives, economic factors, values and challenges inherent to that domain. For instance, in the realm of news, evaluating the system's quality necessitates considerations such as diversity and serendipity, speed and coverage. The recommender system design must consider the overall user experience. This involves understanding the various features and styles influencing users’ interaction with the platform, as well as analyzing the user journey and recognizing the impact of contextual dependencies on their preferences and needs. In both academic literature and practical applications, the primary goal of recommendation systems is to create value. This entails a reciprocal relationship between user values and business values. By addressing user needs and providing quality personalized recommendations that go beyond mere accuracy the system increases short-term engagement. Furthermore, these systems aim to cultivate long-term loyalty and build strong relationships with the target audience. In summary, well-designed recommendation systems enhance user engagement by offering personalized recommendations, optimizing the user experience, reducing information overload, fostering serendipitous discovery, continuously learning and improving, integrating social features, and thereby generate added value for business through increased user satisfaction, retention, and potential revenue growth. End of the artificial clean cut between content? Media mergers are changing the industry. One of the many examples is how RTL XL will become a part of Videoland. The question rises how the video-on demand platforms can blend different content types such as movies, series, TV programs, short clips and livestreams in an appealing way. An answer to that question could be answered by formulating the optimal user experience through recommender systems. Currently, the company is analyzing user behaviour in order to develop models that can be used in online user experiments. A next step will be to start A-B testing to create the optimal recommendation model. The goal of VOD platforms is to have loyal visitors, but it is a metric that moves very slowly. Currently, the recommendation system of the RTL is built up on three different types of recommendations: content-based, popular within the genre and collaborative filtering. Interesting fact: Personalized swimming lanes compared to editorials swimming lanes generate 30 min more viewing time per active user per month. The main goal of “this recommender optimizing project” is to work towards continuous loops. Sequential recommender systems are different in that sense that they convert user’s behavior trajectory into recommended items or services. It takes into account the current and recent preferences of a user for a more accurate recommendations. Implementing this new form of recommender system will be one of the key factors to generate a user interface with “blended content” that answers the customer’s needs. A critical stance in the evaluation of recommenders Being grounded in dominantly quantitative forms of assessment, recommender system evaluation needs to pay sufficient attention to real-world significance of numerical results and to whether outcomes actually make sense in applied cases. For instance, is an overall increase in prediction accuracy of a recommendation an accomplishment when large parts of the user base still receive bad recommendations and their preferences remain ill-defined? A call for qualitative sense-making of quantitative evaluation outcomes was certainly made at the Summer School. Also, research papers that seek to evaluate recommender systems often focus more on (incremental) increases in performance percentages than on a solid basis for their actual evaluation. In terms of relevance for the academic field, consequently, little contributions are made. Papers that are characterised by vagueness and technical complexity thus prevent real progress and cannot form the basis for further research. The lack of valuable longitudinal research in the domain of recommender systems can also be related to this. Lastly, by acknowledging that recommender systems impact not only the intended end-user and that their complex nature implies influences also on those not directly involved, we argue that multiple-stakeholder considerations should be the norm. We realize that the inherent complexity of recommender systems makes this a difficult endeavour. But in our attempts to evade the McNamara fallacy and to research in the most holistic way possible, the aim should always be to keep a multi-stakeholder involvement top-of-mind. Not solely in phases of design or evaluation, but as a constant reflective thought from the outset and throughout. Previous Next Wrap-up of the RecSys Summer School

< Back 21 Mar 2024 What are the conditions under which the use of algorithms can contribute to, or threaten, epistemic welfare? “Epistemic Welfare“ stands as a cornerstone concept for understanding how individuals and groups interact with knowledge in today’s digital society. How do we define it? What is the conceptual and methodological framework for the concept? ALGEPI is organising its first annual workshop on the 12th of April 2024 from 10:00h to 13:00h CET to discuss what are the conditions under which the use of algorithms can contribute to, or threaten, epistemic welfare and how can we translate this into actionable parameters or metrics. Join us in the discussion! 🕙 Time: 10:00h to 13:00h CET. 🗓️ Date: 12th of April 2024 📍 Venue: Collegium Veteranorum (109-20) – Sint-Michielsstraat 2-4 , 3000 Leuven ( 02.10 – MGR. O. ROMEROZAAL ). Are you planning to attend? Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis so please let us know by sending us an email ! Registrations will close on the 5th April 2024. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more, have a look at our concept note dissecting the concept of epistemic welfare ! ➡︎ Read the full programme here . Previous Next Join ALGEPI's workshop on Epistemic Welfare!

< Back 1 Oct 2024 Ontdek alle trends en inzichten in ons webinar! Benieuwd naar hoe Vlamingen hun favoriete content streamen? Sluit op 31 oktober aan bij het 1e proeftuin webinar! We introduceren de eerste inzichten uit ons project 'Streaming Affordances voor kleine mediamarkten', ondersteund door VLAIO en de Vlaamse Minister van Media. Tijdens het webinar krijg je een diepgaand overzicht van: De voorkeuren en motivaties van Vlaamse streamers Hoe technologie, context en content hun kijkgedrag beïnvloeden De resultaten van interviews, dagboekonderzoeken en een grootschalige survey Mis deze kans niet om waardevolle inzichten op te doen over de snel veranderende wereld van streaming. Schrijf je vandaag nog in en ontdek hoe de Vlaming met media omgaat! Details: 📆 Datum: 31 oktober 2024 🕚 Tijd: 11u-12u 💻 Online Meld je aan voor deze webinar via onderstaande link: Registreren Previous Next Webinar: Streaming in Vlaanderen

< 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

About SRP Media SRP Media represents the third Strategic Research Programme on media economics at imec-SMIT, Vrije Universiteit Brussel . Its focus lies on understanding algorithm-driven media industries and how they reshape value in small markets. SRP Media c lusters four PhD trajectories and affiliated research projects that deal with Streaming, Recommenders and Platformization in European Media Industries. By doing so, SRP Media aims to foster collaborations and knowledge exchanges across several national and international research projects, and to function as one centralised hub towards external stakeholders. Research projects Streaming, Recommenders and Platformization in European Media Industries The research is conducted within the broader field of media and communication studies, more particularly in the research fields of media economics, political economy, innovation studies, and media policy. The importance of the research is confirmed by existing academic research, current media company practices, and ongoing policy developments in the field. Recent academic research has already been exploring the topic of algorithms in media industries. However, this body of work remains limited, mainly due to the ongoing changes in algorithm use, as well as the limited data publicly available on how algorithms and content recommendations are made in practice. In order to contribute to scientific evidence on the topic, as well as to industry- and policy-related debates and developments, the SRP follows three main research industries, namely news media, public service media, and global and domestic streaming platforms. Each industry will be analysed from four perspectives: media companies, media content, media audiences, and media policy. It also aims to analyse the interplay between the three, to identify their effects on audience consumption, and the ways in which algorithms are used and regulated. The research combines qualitative and quantitative methodology and specifically focuses on small media markets. It also applies case studies, both individually and in comparative analyses, either between different media service providers, or between different EU Member States. The programme will provide media stakeholders with the necessary knowledge on the usage and effects of algorithms on media production, distribution, and consumption. The findings will also help policymakers to formulate legislation that will accurately measure and efficiently regulate the implementation and use of algorithms and recommender systems. Principal Investigators Pieter Ballon Supervisor Tim Raats Supervisor / Track Lead Annelien Smets Track Lead Wendy Van den Broeck Track Lead Meet our team You might also be interested in ... ... fellow knowledge hubs at imec-SMIT, Vrije Universiteit Brussel related to media and technology. Nieuwsgebruik.be Mediapunt Mediawijs Knowledge Center Data & Society

< Back 19 Apr 2024 An overview of our presentations at Media Industries in London From April 16 to 19, 2024, the Media Industries Conference took place at King’s College London. Our SRPMedia team was well represented with presentations related to our doctoral research tracks on news recommenders and public service media , our living lab project on streaming affordances in small media markets , and presentations on the ALGEPI and PSM-AP projects. Last but not least, the De Gruyter Handbook of Media Economics was presented, which contains several contributions from our team and is co-edited by Tim Raats. In this post, we provide an overview of the various presentations delivered by our team. Integrating Recommenders and Platformization in Small Media Markets’ Legacy Players In our presentation we offered insightful perspectives on navigating the challenges and opportunities within the evolving media landscape in Flanders. From exploring streaming and recommender systems in Flemish media to analyzing the importance of scalability in small markets. The Flemish public service media VRT has been working to establish a strong central brand with content brands inspired by findability. They are challenged to reclaim control over their audiences, rather than have to rely on third parties (like social media) to reach audiences. In their distribution strategy they adopt a 50% human, manual curated, and 50% curation by algorithms both for audio and video taking into account contextual factors for example offer a podcast in the morning and user is in the car, but entertainment or series when user is at home watching on TV. VRT chooses taste-broadening as way to go by recommending unconsumed content that is deemed to be in range of consumers interest, but still diverse enough. Additionally, we question the value of news recommender systems by examining the return on investment for commercial news organizations. Finally, the findings from the diary study show that the social aspect remains relevant even with the rise of VOD services, with viewing giving a sense of community. Also while SVOD services provide personalized interfaces, local BVOD services seem to function more as generic content collections with limited navigation support. Gatekeeping in the Digital Age: Newsroom Resistance to News Personalization? Aina Errando shared some valuable insights from her research, conducted in collaboration with Heritiana Ranaivoson and Adelaida Afilipoaie as part of the ALGEPI project . Their presentation highlighted the current challenges in implementing News Recommender Systems (NRS) in Spanish newsrooms, emphasizing the importance of bridging “tech-editorial gaps” and promoting collaboration among stakeholders within news organizations. Platformization Meets Universality Catalina Iordache presented insights from the comparative policy analysis of the platformization process of public service media (PSM) in seven media markets, as part of the PSM-AP project. Findings show a wide range of priorities set in the policy documents and digital strategies of PSM organizations, with a focus on People--connecting to and with audiences, Personalization - the use of recommender systems and the development of (public service) algorithms, and Prominence - with regard to PSM services/apps, content, and brands. Universality remains a core principle in the formulation of online strategies and regulatory recommendations. De Gruyter Handbook of Media Economics During a roundtable the new Handbook of Media Economics was presented, edited by Ulrike Rohn , M. Bjørn von Rimscha and Tim Raats . The handbook presents key contributions from scholars worldwide, providing a comprehensive exploration of current trends in media industries from diverse perspectives. Within the framework of understanding contemporary and future trajectories in media markets and industries, the volume delves into their influence on media organization and delivery, along with broader societal and market implications. Encompassing research at the crossroads of economics, management, political economy, and production studies, the handbook emphasizes the necessity for a robust interdisciplinary dialogue. Beyond scrutinizing present and forthcoming industry developments, the handbook addresses pivotal issues pertaining to media economics research methods and pedagogy. It serves as a valuable resource for scholars, students, and media professionals, providing insights into media economics as an academic field and delving into the multifaceted dynamics that shape the media landscape. Doing this, it contributes to the ongoing discourse on the evolving nature of media markets and their profound impact on society. The handbook is co-edited by Tim Raats and contains the following contributions from our team: Tim Raats, Developing a curriculum for media economics Alessandro D’Arma, Jeanette Steemers & Tim Raats, Public service media: Challenges for delivering universal public service in the platform age Catalina Iordache, The effects of streaming on media markets Heritiana Ranaivoson, Annelien Smets,& Pieter Ballon, Challenges and opportunities for recommender systems in media markets De Gruyter Handbook on Media Economics will be published on 20 May, 2024. Previous Next Media Industries Conference, London

< Back Multistakeholder challenges and opportunities of news recommender systems in newsrooms: a comparative systematic literature review Errando, A., Vandenbroucke, H., & Kulig, M. (2026). Multistakeholder challenges and opportunities of news recommender systems in newsrooms: a comparative systematic literature review. Annals of the International Communication Association In today’s digital environment, where audiences seek relevant news across platforms, news recommender systems (NRS) personalize news feeds, presenting both opportunities and challenges for different stakeholders. Despite increasing industry and academic interest in NRS, a comparative perspective across media systems remains absent. This systematic literature review addresses this gap by exploring the opportunities and challenges related to NRS studied across media systems in Western Europe and the United States (U.S.) and highlights current research gaps. Using Hallin and Mancini’s framework and Brüggemann et al.’s clustering for our comparative analysis, as well as Smets et al.’s multistakeholder perspective, we perform an in-depth analysis of 59 publications from Web of Science, Scopus, and Litmaps. Our findings reveal that (a) NRS research is concentrated in the U.S., Netherlands, and Belgium, (b) more interdisciplinary studies are needed to understand the nuanced effects of NRS across media systems, and (c) research on NRS implementation in newsrooms is not a one-size-fits-all process. Previous Read the article Next

< Back 1 Oct 2024 The SRP team presented their work at the ECREA 2024 Conference The 10th edition of the European Communication Research and Education Association Conference (ECREA) took place on 24-27 September 2024 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The VUB’s Communication Sciences department had a large delegation of over 25 researchers at the conference, including several SRP team members. On Wednesday 25 September, Tim Raats presented a paper entitled ‘ Ensuring visibility of European public service media. An analysis of policy, industry and academic views on prominence measures in Belgium ’, as part of the session ‘Public service and the public interest in European Media’, in the Communication, Law and Policy section. The presentation was based on research conducted together with SRP colleagues Adelaida Afilipoaie and Pieter Van der Elst . On Thursday 26 September, Catalina Iordache presented research conducted together with Catherine Johnson (University of Leeds) on ‘ Balancing the scales between public service algorithms and editorial curation , the cases of BBC and VRT. The presentation was part of pre-constituted panel on ‘Comparative approaches to public service media disruption: The transformation of values, norms and prevailing structures in the age of platforms’, hosted by the Public Service Media in the Age of Platforms ( PSM-AP ) project. And on the final day of the conference, Friday 27 September, Noëmie Forest presented the paper ‘What will we be streaming tonight? And why? An analysis of motivations for VOD consumption in Belgium’, co-authored with Isabelle Puskas, Wendy Van den Broeck and Tim Raats. The presentation was part of the session on Audiovisualities and Audiences, in the section Audience and Reception Studies. Tim Raats and Catalina Iordache also presented their ongoing work on assessing discoverability and prominence on VOD services as part of the roundtable ‘ Re-conceptualising the television 'text' for the platform age: textual analysis, texts and interfaces ’, organised in the Television Studies section. As part of the business meetings, Catalina Iordache and Tim Raats have also be re-elected as vice-chairs of their respective sessions Media Industries and Cultural Production and Communication, Law and Policy . Previous Next Our presentations at ECREA

< Back 18 Dec 2023 Explore our work-in-progress presentations at DBWRS2023 Last week our team attended the first edition of the Dutch-Belgian Workshop on Recommender Systems. DBWRS 2023 proved to be a dynamic event for the exchange of ideas, insights, and ongoing research. Among the highlights were the six compelling work-in-progress posters presented by our researchers. In this blog post, we are excited to share a glimpse into these projects, providing a brief overview of the groundbreaking work our team is currently undertaking. 1. What Will We Be Streaming Tonight? And Why? This project delves into the fascinating world of streaming preferences. The Living Lab project explores the affordances that influence users' choices in content consumption. From binge-worthy series to thought-provoking documentaries, we're unraveling the intricate tapestry of streaming behaviors. 2. Newsroom Realities: An Exploration of Changing Dynamics in News Organizations in Relation to Recommender Systems In a rapidly evolving media landscape, Hanne's PhD-journey investigates the impact of implementing recommender systems on newsroom dynamics. How do different stakeholders wihtin news organizations look at the potential opportunities and risks of recommendations and personalization? 3. Assessing the Potential of Large Language Models for Personalized Explainable Recommendations in Media Large language models have revolutionized natural language processing. In his PhD, Ulysse will explore their potential for personalized and explainable recommendations in the media domain. Uncover the methodologies and insights that pave the way for a more transparent and user-centric recommender system. 4. Intention and Behavior: A Systematic Review of Literature on Users Preferences in Recommendation Systems Understanding users is at the heart of designing effective recommendation systems. Through an systematic literature review, Dongxiao sheds light on the intricate interplay between user intentions and actual behavior. 5. Discovering the Rhythm: The Impact of Online Platform Recommender Systems on Music Discoverability Music is a universal language, and our researchers in the FairMuse project are exploring how online platform recommender systems influence the discoverability of music. From algorithmic playlists to tailored suggestions, we're uncovering the rhythm that shapes users' musical exploration. 6. Gatekeeping in the Digital Age: Newsroom Resistance to News Personalization As news personalization becomes more prevalent, Aina investigates the resistance to recommender systems in newsrooms in Spain as a part of the Algepi-project . These work-in-progress posters showcase the diversity and depth of ongoing research of the SRP Media team. Together, we navigate the ever-changing landscape of recommender systems, digital platforms and streaming services. Previous Next Our work-in-progress at DBWRS 2023