What do Mozambican journalists do with algorithms? Platformization of communication and journalistic practices in Mozambique

This article questions what Mozambican journalists do with algorithms in the context of the platformization of communication, shifting the focus from the effects of platforms to the practices developed by professionals. The notion of agency in the face of algorithmic systems is mobilized, in dialogue with Christin and Petre (2020) and Bonini and Treré (2024). Methodologically, a qualitative approach was adopted, with an online questionnaire applied to 17 Mozambican journalists, to be complemented by semi-structured interviews. Data collection is ongoing, and the reported results are preliminary, not allowing generalizations. The data reveal that platforms participate in the construction of news, that traditional criteria of newsworthiness coexist with algorithmic values such as virality and emotional reaction, and that metrics influence editorial decisions without journalists equating them with journalistic relevance. Professional autonomy is presented as strained, and adaptation to platforms coexists with a partial knowledge of algorithmic mechanisms.