News Diversity Under Algorithms: The Effects of Pre-Selected and Self-Selected Personalization on Chinese TikTok (Douyin)

Existing journalism scholarship has raised the concern of people's limited news exposure on algorithm-driven social media. Using a series of novel agent-based testing (ABT) experiments, this study collects data from Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) and attempts to capture the dynamics of...

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Published inDigital journalism Vol. 13; no. 7; pp. 1190 - 1208
Main Authors Shi, Wen, Li, Jinhui
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 09.08.2025
Subjects
agent-based testing
algorithm audit
algorithmic personalization
human agency
News diversity
news exposure
recommendation system
TikTok
Online AccessGet full text
ISSN2167-0811
2167-082X
DOI10.1080/21670811.2025.2450312

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Abstract Existing journalism scholarship has raised the concern of people's limited news exposure on algorithm-driven social media. Using a series of novel agent-based testing (ABT) experiments, this study collects data from Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) and attempts to capture the dynamics of news diversity with complex interaction of algorithm and human agency. Results indicate that the personalized news consumption on Douyin is more diverse in news categories than it would be when occurs by chance. Additionally, algorithmic decisions more than human choices promote exposure to diverse topics in news consumption. We have further quantified whether users can obtain a more balanced news consumption through modifying their interest scope and tendency to engage with unmatched content. These findings are crucial for us to grasp how algorithms shapes users' news consumption and determine the effectiveness human users can adjust their exposure to a more diverse, opinion-challenging news environment.
AbstractList Existing journalism scholarship has raised the concern of people's limited news exposure on algorithm-driven social media. Using a series of novel agent-based testing (ABT) experiments, this study collects data from Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) and attempts to capture the dynamics of news diversity with complex interaction of algorithm and human agency. Results indicate that the personalized news consumption on Douyin is more diverse in news categories than it would be when occurs by chance. Additionally, algorithmic decisions more than human choices promote exposure to diverse topics in news consumption. We have further quantified whether users can obtain a more balanced news consumption through modifying their interest scope and tendency to engage with unmatched content. These findings are crucial for us to grasp how algorithms shapes users' news consumption and determine the effectiveness human users can adjust their exposure to a more diverse, opinion-challenging news environment.
Author Li, Jinhui
Shi, Wen
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SubjectTerms agent-based testing
algorithm audit
algorithmic personalization
human agency
News diversity
news exposure
recommendation system
TikTok
Title News Diversity Under Algorithms: The Effects of Pre-Selected and Self-Selected Personalization on Chinese TikTok (Douyin)
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