‘Big Data, Media and Privacy
Do Journalism Students Feel Spied On?’ Perceptions of Data-Driven Communication, Surveillance and Professional Ethics Among Future Journalists
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19483692 |
|---|---|
| Authors | M Ángeles Fernández Barrero (0000-0001-7045-7880, Universidad de Sevilla), Luisa Graciela Aramburú-Moncada (0000-0002-0409-5380, Universidad de Sevilla) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 324 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-15 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2076-0760 • E-ISSN: 2076-0760 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/socsci15050324 |
| OpenAlex | W7161303484 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 20 |
Background: The growing use of big data and algorithmic personalisation in political communication has intensified concerns about surveillance, privacy, and manipulation. Although previous research has examined these issues among the general public, much less is known about how journalism students—future professionals who have grown up in data-fied environments—perceive them. This study investigates the extent to which these students feel ‘spied on’ by digital platforms and online media, how such perceptions influence their trust in media, platforms and political actors, and what attitudes they hold regarding the ethical use of data in journalism. (2) Methods: Based on a survey of 222 journalism students, the research analyses perceptions of digital surveillance, awareness of political microtargeting, and attitudes toward the ethical use of audience data in journalism practice. A qualitative component, through focus groups, complements the survey by exploring ethical reflections on algorithmic tracking and journalistic responsibility. (3) Results: The findings reveal a widespread distrust of social networks and political actors and a more moderate scepticism toward the news media. Students express strong ethical concerns about data use and algorithmic personalisation, particularly in political communication and in relation to their future professional roles. (4) Conclusions: The study suggests that journalism students show critical awareness of algorithmic personalisation. Their perceptions highlight the need for academic training in transparency, consent, and accountability in data-driven practices
Accountability · Citizen journalism · Disinformation · Distrust · Journalism · Perception · Personalization · Politics · Skepticism · Technical Journalism · Ethics and Social Impacts of AI · Media Studies and Communication · Social Media and Politics
The Costs of Connection
Designing Democracy
Public attitudes towards algorithmic personalization and use of personal data online
Algorithmic personalization
Ethics and journalistic challenges in the age of artificial intelligence
Contesting personalized recommender systems
The role of content personalisation in political social media campaigning
Young People, Digital Media, and Engagement
The impact of algorithm awareness on the acceptance of personalized social media content recommendation based on the technology acceptance model
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |