Conceptualising the ‘algorithmic public opinion’: Public opinion formation in the digital age

Abstract

A growing body of research has examined the relationship between social media algorithms and public opinion-related issues in digital environments, focusing on specific phenomena such as disinformation, fake news, and ‘filter bubbles’. However, a comprehensive theoretical framework that captures the complex interplay of factors through which social media algorithms shape, facilitate, or obstruct public opinion formation in Western digital societies is still lacking. To address this gap, this article introduces the concept of ‘algorithmic public opinion’ to capture the role of social media algorithms in shaping public opinion both as a process and as a product. While inherently open-ended, we argue that this framework offers scholars a valuable tool for understanding the centrality of automated decision-making processes in the circulation of informational content, and its interaction with diverse actors who play a decisive role in determining which issues of public interest gain salience and which news sources and interpretations are selected and amplified.