Future research of virtual social networks in the face of Iran's traditional media based on the formation of robot journalism

The present research studies the future scenarios of social networks' confrontation with traditional media and how to form a robot journalist.

This research was conducted with the prospective research method using the scenario writing technique. To achieve the uncertainties, the Interpretative-Structural Modeling (ISM) method was used with the benefit of Mic Mac software, and to discover the scenarios, the balance of mutual effects method was used with the benefit of the Scenario Wizard software.

The output of the Scenario Wizard software showed 4 scenarios with zero compatibility (probable), 11 scenarios with one compatibility (believable scenarios), 32 scenarios with two compatibility (possible scenarios). According to the findings of the research, four factors of technological degradation Affairs, generation z (digital natives), media ownership and the power of large-scale traditional media were identified as key factors.

Possible scenarios show that the trend of audience decline in traditional media continues, and the government may limit the technology-based affairs, but the restrictions applied in the field of technology will change the trend of increasing influence of social networks and decreasing the audience of traditional media. Therefore, in order to overcome the issue of lack of audience and continue professional life, traditional media should turn to intelligent forms of journalism, including "robot journalism".