Statement of Purpose Essay - University of Washington

Ph.D. Program in Communication Heesoo Jang My primary research interest lies in the area of communication technology and society. I am especially interested in examining the use of algorithms in journalism, its social impact on users from both ends, and the ethical and legal questions concerning news quality, transparency, and accountability. Through my research, I aspire to contribute to forming a society in which everyone has equal access to quality news based on reliable information. As a young child, I had initially hoped to become a fiction writer. Writing novels, usually science fiction, in online writing communities, I had realized the importance of quality information and fact-checking. Although I was writing about the future, where androids and humans are indistinguishable, I felt that the readers wanted a believable narrative with authentic details. I would devote more time researching and checking facts to construct a realistically surreal background in which my story would unfold. For example, it took weeks of research before I could decide on what profession to give a character. If a character were to be a violinist, I would watch videos after videos of Itzhak Perlman’s performances, contemplating how to make my character the most believable. The lesson I had learned as a young writer on the importance of proper research and fact-checked information became more concrete during my internship at Joongang Ilbo, one of the major news outlets in South Korea. Working alongside veteran journalists, I was amazed to witness how much effort was put into checking and establishing factual grounds for an article. As an intern journalist, I was able to participate in that crucial role, undertaking numerous research to deliver reliable information to the public. I was also more than alarmed, however, to observe how the articles based on careful scrutiny of facts became sidelined amidst a deluge of articles carrying unreliable information. In today’s digital media environment, in which most newsreaders access and obtain information, provocative headlines and sensational images seemed to become increasingly pervasive. Following this observation, I became interested in examining how the digital environment influences and shapes journalism. More specifically, I found interest in studying how we could mitigate the negative aspects of the inevitable transformation of journalism. Such interest led me to enroll in the master’s program at Seoul National University’s Department of Communication, where I studied the theoretical framework and practical tools to formulate and pursue more substantial research questions. Under the supervision of Professor Sugmin Yoon, I researched how people access, appreciate, analyze, evaluate and share news in the digital environment where various algorithms are widely used to generate and distribute news articles. In particular, I took an interest in establishing a more comprehensive concept of news literacy based on existing theories to examine how news consumers behave in the digital environment. To construct a theoretically sound model of news literacy, I researched literature across various disciplines, including journalism, sociology, and information science. Such a multidisciplinary approach proved to be a difficult challenge as I attempted to analyze and incorporate different studies ranging from those on media effects to cognitive theories of information processing. However, I was able to develop a three dimensional model of news literacy based on individual knowledge structure, personal locus, and competencies and skills to conduct the research for my thesis. Utilizing the constructed model of news literacy, I undertook a quantitative study on how users from different generations perceive, understand, and use news differently in an environment increasingly influenced by algorithms and artificial intelligence. The statistical analysis of collected and operationalized data resulted in a novel finding. Contrary to the common belief that the younger generation is indifferent to the news, my study showed that they access news through various paths and platforms, evaluate them with different criteria, and generate more news-related communications through various sharing strategies. In other words, even compared to the older generation, the younger generation is anything but newsless, ignorant, or indifferent to the news. The significance of this finding was recognized by Seoul National University as it received a research grant from the Department of Social Science. Building upon such experiences, I have been working as a researcher and coordinator at the SNU FactCheck Center at Seoul National University. Currently, I am working closely with 28 major news outlets in Korea who contribute carefully verified fact-checked articles to the center’s web platform. Working at the core of fact checking in South Korea, I have had the opportunity to share and discuss the most up-to-date issues concerning the field. The most significant interest of the center and its partners lies in understanding how algorithms could be used to more effectively disperse fact-checked information than the currently pervasive pieces of disinformation and misinformation. At this juncture of my life, I am looking to broaden and deepen my understanding of the media through your Ph.D. program. More specifically, I aspire to address research areas involving the following themes and issues. First is the research on algorithms that generate personalized news articles. I want to contribute to this emerging field by automated systems identify data and news values, produce written contents and provide quality news articles. Moreover, I am interested in how these news algorithms influence the news using patterns of consumers. In the digital media environment, portal media companies such as Google and Facebook have started displaying algorithm-based news, changing how consumers access, understand, verify, and share news. By understanding changing news-using patterns, I will be able to provide implications to bring about more benefits for the consumers and society. Additionally, I wish to further develop this research by incorporating communication policy research. I expect to study how automated systems, including artificial intelligence, could affect the news industry. Through this research, I would like to examine the ethical and legal questions that cannot be overlooked. In the end, I wish to design public policy measures regarding the relationship between AI journalism and news literacy. I believe that news literacy is a crucial concept when it comes to concerns about news quality, transparency, and accountability regarding algorithms and automation. I believe that my master’s thesis on news literacy serves as a solid starting point for future research. University of Washington provides an ideal environment for me to achieve my goal to explore the multifaceted questions on the role and mechanisms of news in the modern society. Although I am delightfully open to a variety of research, there are several professors at University of Washington whose projects are especially appealing to me. In particular, I hope to work with Professor Lance Bennett as my research interests and area of expertise fit well with his research interests in how communication technologies including software generated news can enhance citizen engagement in the democratic society. I am also eager to study with Professor Richard Kielbowicz whose research problems focus on how technology and public policy affected the circulation of public information including news. I believe that his research provides me with a useful lens to examine the software generated news environment of today in a similar sense. Lastly, I am interested in Professor Katy Pearce’s research on understanding the affordances of information and communication technologies. I am interested in utilizing the concept of affordance in addressing the impacts of algorithms on users. I believe the expertise of these three professors will provide a rich context for my proposed research questions. Adaptability and flexibility are the two essential strengths that I have developed while living in Australia, Hong Kong, France, and South Korea, befriending people from various backgrounds. While pursuing three fields of studies, I have also developed multidisciplinary skills and knowledge from communication, business, and English literature. I believe that I have a lot to offer to the academic community of the University of Washington in terms of diversity both academically and culturally.