# Integrating Chatbot Media Automations in Professional Journalism: An Evaluation Framework
## 3 Integrating Chatbots in Professional Journalism
### Methodology for the Evaluation of Chatbot Platforms for Journalism
#### 3.2.1 Chatbot Creation Platforms
Most companies in the field of chatbot creation operate under a hybrid business model, where they offer a free plan with limited functionality and a premium one with more features (Business models for the platforms used in the study can be found here: (1) [[https://quirobot.com/pricing](https://quirobot.com/pricing)]([https://quirobot.com/pricing](https://quirobot.com/pricing)) (accessed on 28 September 2022) (2) [[https://snatchbot.me/pricing](https://snatchbot.me/pricing)]([https://snatchbot.me/pricing](https://snatchbot.me/pricing)) (accessed on 28 September 2022) (3) [[https://chatfuel.com/pricing](https://chatfuel.com/pricing)]([https://chatfuel.com/pricing](https://chatfuel.com/pricing)) (accessed on 28 September 2022)). We are mostly interested in tools that allow users the freedom to begin experimenting with chatbot creation without any commitments, and thus only platforms with a usable free plan were taken into account. Finally, the chosen tools must exhibit characteristics that align with usage in a journalistic environment. This includes a list of criteria that will be further elaborated on in the evaluation section. Based on the above, the three following chatbot-building tools were chosen and will be examined below: Quirobot, SnatchBot, and Chatfuel. What follows is a short description of the way each one of the selected platforms operates. Quirobot  
The first chatbot creation platform examined was Quirobot ([[https://quirobot.com](https://quirobot.com)]([https://quirobot.com](https://quirobot.com))) (accessed on 28 September 2022). It consists of an all-in-one solution for chatbot creation, as it provides the user with comprehensive options for creating and customizing the final product. This platform has been utilized in the past for journalistic purposes and, among other things, for implementations, including information collected from users [34]. The Dutch public broadcasting company KRO-NCRV is also listed as an official partner on the company website. The Quirobot platform operates by allowing users to string together several \"steps\" to create the final product (Figure 2). The end-user can navigate the conversation by clicking on pre-assigned buttons that guide them through the step sequences. Each step represents a specific action with predetermined ways of interaction between the user and the bot, so the complexity of the chatbot hinges on the variety of steps available. More steps are being added over time, but as of the time of writing, a good selection already exists. Examples of steps include questions with a simple button for a Yes/No answer, open-ended questions that allow users to type out a response, contact forms, fields for uploading files, and so on. While there is a certain degree of choice for the user during their interaction-as with any chatbot that is properly thought out-Qurirobot isn't capable of recognizing text input as a means of navigating the interface. As mentioned above, users can still input text in specific scenarios, but that text is only stored as an answer inside an internal repository for the journalist to decipher at a later time. SnatchBot ([[https://snatchbot.me](https://snatchbot.me)]([https://snatchbot.me](https://snatchbot.me))) (accessed on 28 September 2022) is the first creation tool on the list that exhibits natural language processing capabilities and does so in a coding-free manner, in addition to the more basic creation method that resembles the other two platforms (Figure 3). This tool is capable of understanding the user's intent, proper training, and acting accordingly to fulfill their requests. The way this is accomplished is by having the chatbot distinguish between two different types of text inputs, named Entities and Intent. Entities correspond to anything that can be named, such as objects, places, time, and so on. Intent, on the other hand, refers to the purpose behind the user's words in a sentence, like, for example: \"I want to see the latest news\".