Resource Exchanges Between Mobile News Apps and Third-Parties

Abstract

This article presents a longitudinal analysis of the resource exchanges between news organizations and third-parties in the use of mobile news apps. As user data constitute a critical strategic resource in the digital economy, third-party capture of user data challenges the governance of news organizations. Analyzing the prevalence and distribution of resource exchanges, the article maps connections between an international sample of mobile news apps (n = 24) and external third-parties in 2016, 2017, and 2021. Consistent with earlier studies, the analysis shows that all news organizations engage in resource exchanges, but also that while the extent varies between organizations, the extent and complexity of the general network increases over time. Furthermore, an ownership analysis of the third-parties reveals the network dominance of Google. These findings contribute to the understanding of the digital transformation of news organizations and of the digital economy of the news industry, emphasizing the network power of third-parties and discussing the organizational, democratic, and privacy-related implications of resource exchanges in the digital news industry.