Algorithmic Attention and the Transformation of Strategic Communication
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Abstract
This conceptual essay proposes Algorithmic Attention as a core organisational feature of changing strategic communication. It defines algorithmic attention as the process through which algorithms influence what is seen, deemed relevant, and the types of audiences engaged within communication environments. Based on a conceptual narrative design, a sample of academic
literature on Algorithmic Communication, Strategic Communication, Digital Platforms, and Audience Attention was critically analysed, and themes were developed to uncover relationships between key concepts: algorithms, communicators, platforms, data, and users. Drawing on ActorNetwork Theory (ANT), the study treats algorithms as actants within a communicative
environment rather than merely as technological tools. This study posits that algorithmic attention alters and reconstitutes strategic communication, shifting its emphasis from message production to algorithmically amplified visibility, which engenders challenges related to transparency, manipulability, privacy, and ethical responsibility.
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