流量至上與新聞品質的拉鋸：新聞工作者視角下的選擇困境與調適策略

Abstract

本研究探討「流量至上」的新聞環境對基層新聞工作者的影響，訪談16位網路新聞工作者，包括14位網路新聞編輯與記者以及2位編輯主管。本文以邊界物（Boundary Objects）的概念解釋流量在新聞工作扮演的角色，以及流量數據如何影響新聞產製，同時歸納出商業媒體與非商業媒體之間的差異。 本文發現流量數據在新聞工作實踐中，不僅是一種共享資訊，更是一種管理與控制的工具，在商業新聞媒體組織內，從基層新聞工作者到高階管理層皆視流量為績效評估的標準，並用來驅動新聞生產模式，直接影響新聞選題和新聞標題的制定，使基層新聞工作者在新聞專業和流量壓力之間掙扎。 相較商業新聞媒體高度依賴流量數據驅動新聞產製，非商業新聞媒體則受專業價值制約，將流量視為了解讀者需求的參考工具。

This study examines the impact of a "traffic-driven" news environment on frontline journalists. Through in-depth interviews with 16 online news professionals—14 editors and reporters, along with 2 editorial supervisors—this research explores how traffic metrics shape journalistic practices. Drawing on the concept of boundary objects, the study analyzes the role of traffic data in news production and its influence on editorial decision-making. Additionally, it highlights the differences between commercial and non-commercial media in their approaches to traffic-driven journalism. The findings reveal that traffic data functions not only as a shared source of information but also as a tool for management and control. In commercial news organizations, traffic metrics serve as a key performance indicator across all levels, from frontline journalists to senior management. These metrics actively shape news production models, influencing topic selection and headline formulation, often forcing journalists to navigate a tension between professional ethics and traffic pressures. In contrast, non-commercial media, while aware of traffic data, are more constrained by professional values. Rather than using traffic metrics as a primary driver of news production, they treat them as a reference tool to better understand audience preferences. This distinction underscores the divergent ways in which different media organizations balance professional journalism with audience-driven demands in the digital era.