Social media have increasingly become primary sources for news consumption, particularly among younger adults (18-35). At the same time, journalists try, often in vain, to attract people to their websites or apps for the full range of news coverage. Besides, news organizations have become gatekeepers of their websites, sometimes prioritizing social media logic over the traditional journalistic rationale. One can assume that news on social media at large might not be an accurate reflection of the scope and depth of general news reporting. This may be even more true for highly personalized social media feeds, in which news has become a by-product.

This research critically examines the historical shift in film cataloging infrastructures1 from analog to digital within film heritage institutions (FHIs). Despite often being viewed as “repetitive” and “tedious,” cataloging forms the foundation of archiving as it creates access points into the collections and enables physical and intellectual control over them. The fact that digital media are harder to retrieve without proper registration makes cataloging even more crucial today. Confronting the increasingly extensive and diverse cinematic materials and metadata, FHIs have long grappled with standardizing and adapting their cataloging systems amid evolving media culture. Meanwhile, the recent trend in decolonizing archives3 urges FHIs to enhance catalog inclusivity. To develop a critical reflection on these challenges and the role of cataloging infrastructures in shaping global film heritage, a review of the forgotten history of film cataloging is urgently needed.