Algorithmic Newsrooms: Ethical and Professional Transformations Driven by AI in Modern Journalism

Algorithmic Newsrooms: Ethical and Professional Transformations Driven by AI in Modern Journalism | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Algorithmic Newsrooms: Ethical and Professional Transformations Driven by AI in Modern Journalism Widad Haroon Ahamed Mohamed, Fakhri Abdelgadir Ali Elfaki, Omnia Salem, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7403143/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming journalism, reshaping how news is sourced, produced, and delivered. While adoption trends in the Global North are well-documented, little is known about how AI integration unfolds in politically sensitive, infrastructurally uneven media systems of the Global South. This study examines AI’s operational, ethical, and professional impacts in North African newsrooms, focusing on Ethiopia, Sudan, and Chad. Drawing on Diffusion of Innovations Theory, Algorithmic Stewardship, and Sociotechnical Systems Theory, we employ a mixed-methods design: a survey of 160 media professionals, 45 semi-structured interviews, and content analysis of 620 AI-generated news items. Findings reveal a rapid-convergence adoption pattern—an accelerated diffusion process yielding efficiency gains (32% reduction in production time; 28% increase in engagement) but also amplifying algorithmic bias and accountability gaps. We propose the Tripartite Governance Model—combining transparency protocols, structured human oversight, and adaptive regulation—to guide ethical integration, and introduce ethical algorithmic literacy as a critical competency for AI-era journalism. The study contributes to theory by extending diffusion and sociotechnical perspectives, to methodology through a triangulated empirical approach, and to practice by offering governance and training blueprints for Global South newsrooms. Artificial Intelligence Journalism Governance Ethical Algorithmic Literacy Diffusion of Innovations Sociotechnical Systems Theory Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7403143","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":507764471,"identity":"cb87f1ea-32d8-4628-a191-ca426f1ba5f0","order_by":0,"name":"Widad Haroon Ahamed Mohamed","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Al Qasimia University, United Arab Emirates","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Widad","middleName":"Haroon Ahamed","lastName":"Mohamed","suffix":""},{"id":507764472,"identity":"05f85da4-c366-4d2d-bbef-b3fcaec1854f","order_by":1,"name":"Fakhri Abdelgadir Ali Elfaki","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Khorfakkan, United Arab Emirates","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Fakhri","middleName":"Abdelgadir Ali","lastName":"Elfaki","suffix":""},{"id":507764473,"identity":"c499b19e-fb6e-46fd-9bda-e40a5da3719d","order_by":2,"name":"Omnia Salem","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Umm Al Quwain University, United Arab Emirates","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Omnia","middleName":"","lastName":"Salem","suffix":""},{"id":507764474,"identity":"1258ff2b-27c9-441c-a376-f3d3550ae1f2","order_by":3,"name":"Ahd M.M. 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While adoption trends in the Global North are well-documented, little is known about how AI integration unfolds in politically sensitive, infrastructurally uneven media systems of the Global South. This study examines AI’s operational, ethical, and professional impacts in North African newsrooms, focusing on Ethiopia, Sudan, and Chad. Drawing on Diffusion of Innovations Theory, Algorithmic Stewardship, and Sociotechnical Systems Theory, we employ a mixed-methods design: a survey of 160 media professionals, 45 semi-structured interviews, and content analysis of 620 AI-generated news items. Findings reveal a rapid-convergence adoption pattern—an accelerated diffusion process yielding efficiency gains (32% reduction in production time; 28% increase in engagement) but also amplifying algorithmic bias and accountability gaps. 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