Project

Broken Connection

In the research project "Broken Connection," experts and scientists from journalism, technology, and design collaborate with public news broadcasters at the national, regional, and local levels to explore how the relationship between journalists and the audience can be strengthened through conversational AI.

Objective

Journalistic news organizations are concerned about their role in society and are questioning how to enhance engagement with the public. Through this project, we want to find out in what ways advanced conversational AI can contribute to a well-informed society, a goal that journalism, and public media, in particular, explicitly strive for.

Results

Through design-oriented research, this research project not only produces functional prototypes but also yields design principles. These principles can guide editorial teams in various journalistic contexts while developing their own conversational AI.

Duration

01 January 2024 - 01 January 2026

Approach

For this research, we are collaborating with the editorial teams of Dutch public broadcasters NOS, Omroep Brabant, and Omroep Venlo to design various applications for conversational AI. The goal is to clarify which choices do and which choices do not contribute to trust in journalism.

HU researchers involved in the research

  • Renee van der Nat
    Renée van der Nat
    • Researcher
    • Research group: Quality Journalism in Digital Transition
  • Sophie Duvekot
    Sophie Duvekot
    • Researcher
    • Research group: Quality Journalism in Digital Transition
  • Winnifred Wijnker
    • Researcher
    • Research groups: Human Experience & Media Design, Quality Journalism in Digital Transition
  • Yael de Haan
    Yael de Haan
    • Professor
    • Research group: Quality Journalism in Digital Transition
  • Koen van Turnhout
    Koen van Turnhout
    • Professor
    • Research group: Human Experience & Media Design

Related research groups

Collaboration with knowledge partners

NOS, Omroep Brabant, Omroep Venlo, Stichting Nederlandse Lokale Publieke Omroepen (NLPO), Joris Heijkant (developer conversational AI), research group Journalistiek en Design van Fontys, and University of Groningen.

Any questions or want to collaborate?

Renee van der Nat

Renée van der Nat

  • Researcher
  • Research group: Quality Journalism in Digital Transition
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