Artificial Intelligence and Journalism in Global Digital Media: A Study Based on Content, Theme, and Sentiment Analysis

Öz

Aim: This study aims to examine, in a comparative manner, the thematic frameworks through which the relationship between artificial intelligence and journalism is represented in the global digital media discourse and the transformation of this representation over time. Method: The sample for the research consists of news content collected from the Media Cloud platform and selected through purposive sampling. The dataset covers the periods from January 1 to June 30, 2023, and January 1 to August 5, 2025. A three-stage analysis was applied: (1) Quantitative evaluation using Media Cloud to analyze news counts, source distributions, and time series; (2) Word frequency, thematic, and contextual analysis using Voyant Tools (data cleaning was performed by selecting the top 70% of media outlets producing the most content); (3) Determination of positive, negative, and neutral attitudes in headlines using Python-based sentiment analysis models; findings were supported by graphs and qualitative commentary. Results: According to quantitative analyses, the share of news related to the topic within the overall news volume increased from 0.0062% in 2023 to 0.0106% in 2025. While news in 2023 was predominantly ChatGPT-focused, in 2025 the topic became more diverse and gained a global perspective; English was the dominant language in both periods. Voyant Tools analyses show that in 2023 headlines, “AI,” “ChatGPT,” ethics, and employment concerns were prominent, while in 2025, concepts such as “AI,” “Trump,” and “media” and political contexts came to the fore. Over time, word diversity decreased while headline length and readability increased, and the thematic framework broadened. Sentiment analysis revealed that neutral headlines dominated in both years (61.7-65.9%), with fear ranking second; in 2025, neutral discourse strengthened, positive sentiments increased only slightly, and headlines containing fear and anger became more prominent. Conclusion: The findings show that in 2023, artificial intelligence was addressed in the media agenda more in terms of technology and opportunity, while in 2025, ethical, political, and reliability dimensions came to the fore. Although a neutral tone was dominant in both periods, critical discourse increased significantly in 2025. Originality: The study is unique in that it comprehensively combines time series, thematic, and sentiment analysis methods to examine news stories on the theme of artificial intelligence and journalism. It provides new empirical contributions to the literature by documenting with quantitative data that the news discourse in the 2023-2025 period evolved from a ChatGPT-centered framework to a global and political structure.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Artificial intelligence
• journalism
• digital media
• thematic analysis
• sentiment analysis
• content analysis

Küresel Dijital Medyada Yapay Zeka ve Gazetecilik: İçerik, Tema ve Duygu Analizine Dayalı Bir Çalışma

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışma, yapay zeka ile gazetecilik arasındaki ilişkinin küresel dijital medya söyleminde hangi tematik çerçevelerle temsil edildiğini ve bu temsilin zaman içindeki dönüşümünü karşılaştırmalı olarak incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Yöntem: Araştırmanın örneklemi, Media Cloud platformundan derlenen ve amaçlı örnekleme ile seçilen haber içeriklerinden oluşmaktadır. Veri seti, 01 Ocak-30 Haziran 2023 ile 01 Ocak-05 Ağustos 2025 dönemlerini kapsamaktadır. Üç aşamalı analiz uygulanmıştır: (1) Media Cloud ile haber sayıları, kaynak dağılımları ve zaman serisi üzerinden nicel değerlendirme; (2) Voyant Tools ile kelime frekansı, tematik ve bağlamsal analiz (en fazla içerik üreten medya kuruluşlarının %70’i seçilerek veri temizleme yapılmıştır); (3) Python tabanlı duygu analizi modelleriyle başlıkların olumlu, olumsuz ve nötr tutumlarının belirlenmesi; bulgular grafikler ve nitel yorumlarla desteklenmiştir. Bulgular: Nicel analizlere göre, konuya ilişkin haberlerin genel haber hacmi içindeki payı 2023’te %0,0062 iken 2025’te %0,0106’ya yükselmiştir. 2023’te haberler ağırlıklı olarak ChatGPT odaklıyken, 2025’te konu daha çeşitlenmiş ve küresel bir görünüm kazanmıştır; her iki dönemde de İngilizce baskın dil olmuştur. Voyant Tools analizleri, 2023 başlıklarında “AI”, “ChatGPT”, etik ve istihdam kaygılarının; 2025’te ise “AI”, “Trump” ve “media” gibi kavramlarla siyasal bağlamların öne çıktığını göstermektedir. Zamanla sözcük çeşitliliği azalırken başlık uzunluğu ve okunabilirlik artmış, tematik çerçeve genişlemiştir. Duygu analizi, her iki yılda nötr başlıkların baskın (%61,7–65,9) olduğunu, korkunun ikinci sırada yer aldığını; 2025’te nötr söylemin güçlendiğini, olumlu duyguların sınırlı arttığını ve korku-öfke içeren başlıkların daha dikkat çekici olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Sonuç: Bulgular, 2023’te yapay zekanın medya gündeminde daha çok teknoloji ve fırsat ekseninde ele alındığını, 2025’te ise etik, politik ve güvenilirlik boyutlarının öne çıktığını göstermektedir. Her iki dönemde nötr ton baskın olsa da 2025’te eleştirel söylem belirgin biçimde artmıştır. Özgünlük: Çalışma, zaman serisi, tematik ve duygu analizi yöntemlerini bütüncül biçimde birleştirerek yapay zeka-gazetecilik temalı haberleri incelemesi açısından özgündür. 2023-2025 döneminde haber söyleminin ChatGPT merkezli çerçeveden küresel ve siyasal bir yapıya evrildiğini nicel verilerle belgeleyerek literatüre yeni ampirik katkılar sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Yapay zekâ
• gazetecilik
• dijital medya
• tematik analiz
• duygu analizi
• içerik analizi.

Etik Beyan

“Küresel Dijital Medyada Yapay Zekâ ve Gazetecilik: İçerik, Tema ve Duygu Analizine Dayalı Bir Çalışma” başlıklı makale etik kurul onayı gerektirmemektedir.

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