| This thesis examined the changing role of gatekeepers with online news. A survey of 27 online editors out of the top 100 newspapers, by circulation, was conducted. The survey investigated how online editors monitor web traffic and whether or not that data influenced their content decisions. This thesis also studied the influences the print and online edition of the newspaper had on each other in regards to content placement.;Findings showed that although gatekeepers still hold the same authority over content choice, the ability to monitor web traffic is changing some of the editors' content and placement decisions. This thesis found that editors moved stories around based the popularity of stories, with unpopular stories moving off the online front page and popular stories staying on the online front page longer. In other words, editors are beginning to adopt the role of facilitators, who control the content but choose placement and coverage based partially on popularity measured through web traffic. |
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