From audiences to data points: The role of media agencies in the platformization of the news media industry

Media agencies have become one of the key actors in contemporary media industry: by channelling marketing budgets to some and platforms not others, play an important role creating digital infrastructure laying tracks public sphere. Yet we know very little about these commercial middlemen between advertisers audiences, what they do, how should understand their ecology. This article discusses relation platformization with a focus on news sector. Based interviews, publicly available material trade journals, depicts industry deeply engaged digitizing, tracking commodifying while at same time aware ethical challenges infrastructure. leads call for more political attention critical research democratic implications new value chains platforms, advertisers, as well many tech companies providing derived services products.