From Agenda-Setting to Algorithmic Gatekeeping: Rethinking Media Power in the Digital Age

Authors : Osman Vedüd Eşidir, Gökhan Bak, Alparslan Bak

Pages : 1-19

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Publication Date : 2025-12-26

Article Type : Review Paper

Abstract :The digital age has profoundly transformed the functioning of media systems across production, distribution, and circulation processes. While classical communication theories such as agenda-setting and gatekeeping long provided reliable frameworks for explaining the societal impact of media, the rise of social media platforms, the direct involvement of users as content producers, and the invisible regulatory role of algorithms have increasingly exposed the limitations of these approaches. Artificial intelligence–based recommendation systems and algorithmic ranking mechanisms now determine which news and information enter circulation, bringing “algorithmic gatekeeping” to the forefront of theoretical debate. This study is a conceptual review based on a literature search conducted in Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for the period 2010–2025. The analysis identifies where classical theories fall short in the digital context and discusses how algorithmic processes restructure media power through three operational dimensions: visibility allocation, threshold adjustment, and circulation velocity. Findings indicate that digital media not only shape the distribution of content but also fundamentally influence the scope, quality, and democratic plurality of public debate. By sharpening the conceptual boundaries of “algorithmic agenda-setting” and “algorithmic gatekeeping,” the study contributes to the literature at a theoretical level and proposes a conceptual framework with testable propositions for future research.
Keywords : Gündem Belirleme, Eşik Bekçiliği, Algoritmik Medya, Kamusal Alan, Dijital İletişim, Medya Gücü, Demokrasi, Sosyal Medya Algoritmaları

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