Rethinking the use of data: Media's attempts to move away from clickbait and towards audience engagement

This article studies the use of web analytics and social media in newsrooms that are committed to business models based on audience loyalty and pay-for-content. It is based on 28 in-depth interviews with news workers from 11 media outlets in five European countries: Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and the UK. It reveals that the media are committed to prioritising quality indicators (page views, comments, etc.) over quantity indicators (page views, unique users, etc.), although they still cannot ignore the latter due to their historical dependence on advertising as a source of revenue. Social networks play an essential role in their audience loyalty strategies, but the lack of transparency of these platforms arouses misgivings in some newsrooms. The commitment to loyalty-based business models does not mean abandoning work with audience data, but rather significantly changing the way they are approached. The determined commitment to guaranteeing the success of the business model has significantly changed the work with audience data and social networks, leading the media to abandon clickbait content and prioritise quality content.