Challenges posed by algorithmic mediation to information science

Abstract

Information mediation is a fundamental concept in the field of Information Science, as it reflects the complexity of the information circulation system, characterised by the transmission of knowledge amongst different individuals, contexts and technologies. The profound changes brought about by new information technologies present unprecedented challenges for mediation, as traditional mediators such as librarians, archivists, museologists and educators are competing for space with new modes of information appropriation, such as the algorithms found on social media, which play a predominant role in selecting the information that is most readily available to users. This paper proposes a reflection on the challenges posed by algorithmic mediation to Information Science, through the approach of the political economy of information, based on exploratory bibliographic research. Taking as its starting point a literature review of national and international databases, it represents a first attempt to delineate the scope of the topic of algorithmic mediation within Information Science. The findings demonstrate that the topic is quite recent in the literature of the field and still holds great potential for further exploration. New ways of accessing information are reshaping power relations and information flows, leading to the conclusion that Information Science must revisit traditional concepts of mediation in order to adapt to the challenges posed by the circulation of information in the modern world.