Nick Hagar

Nick Hagar is a postdoctoral scholar at Northwestern University working on the Generative AI in the Newsroom Initiative and an incoming assistant professor at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on collective attention dynamics in digital ecosystems, particularly examining how AI impacts journalism and media landscapes.

• Current Position: Postdoctoral Scholar at Northwestern University
• Upcoming Position: Assistant Professor at University of Minnesota
• Previous Experience: New York Times, Meta, Patreon
• Education: PhD from Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism

Hagar's research explores how people discover information online, why certain content becomes popular, and how AI systems affect news distribution. His work combines computational methods, data science, and network analysis to study platform dynamics in social media and news ecosystems. He has particular expertise in analyzing TikTok, Reddit, Facebook, and Substack as attention markets.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on the intersection of AI and journalism, with particular attention to local news systems, news recommendation algorithms, and how generative AI is transforming newsroom practices. His research shows how platform algorithms often demonstrate 'algorithmic indifference' toward news content, particularly on platforms like TikTok.

• Featured in Business Insider, The New Yorker, and Nieman Lab
• Regular contributor to media discussions on AI and journalism
• Active participant in academic conferences including ICWSM and ICA

Hagar has developed several open-source tools including a Substack API, Common Crawl Genealogy project, and Archive Check CLI for collecting website data from various archives. His work bridges academic research with practical journalism applications, focusing on how computational methods can enhance news production and distribution.