Research on journalism innovation has become increasingly relevant for science and practice. The literature shows a great variety of innovations in a wide range of media fields. However, the question of what the most important innovations in different media systems are has not been addressed. This article attempts to fill this research gap by providing a theoretical framework that deals with the function of journalism in society as well as with the multifaceted meaning of innovation in a time of constant media change. We identify and analyze the most important journalistic innovations in Austria, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom in the last decade. Interviews with 100 experts reveal diverse innovation efforts. From a total of around 1000 mentions, 50 different types of innovations could be identified; from them, 34 made it into the selection of the 20 most relevant innovations in the countries. Different innovations were found to be of varying importance for journalism development in each country. However, some innovations were ranked high everywhere including data journalism, collaborative and investigative networks, audience participation, journalism in social media and the establishment of paywalls. Further comparative analysis of the media policy frameworks, journalism cultures and contexts for the contribution of journalism to democracy is required.

Media organisations and their newsrooms are not structurally equipped to adapt to the dynamic transformation that is increasingly demanded of them. To change this, ten years ago, growing numbers of media organisations began founding journalism innovation labs within their operations. More recently, a new generation of innovation lab has come about that builds on the experiences of the first labs. This paper examines—on the basis of organisational culture and innovation culture as theoretical framework—how journalism innovation labs 2.0 in media organisations are organised and which learnings the lab members have made compared with the pioneers of the first generation. The explorative study focused on five labs in Germany. In some phases of the innovation process the new labs benefited from the pioneering work of the predecessor labs. However, changes in the lab organisation became apparent. A developmental leap is reflected in the manifold efforts of the lab employees not to stay in their laboratory environment but instead to act as an innovation motor for the transformation of their media organisation by knowledge transfer, sharing of new ideas and approaches through advanced training, comprehensive and transparent innovation communication, agile project accompaniment, and personnel rotation. The innovation labs 2.0 apply a process of constant learning and dynamic change.

This volume explores innovations in journalism: the goals and expectations associated with them, promoting and hindering framework conditions, and their social and industrial impact. Drawing on an international research project conducted in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, and the United Kingdom, the book takes a complex approach, considering media policy preconditions and the social impact of journalistic innovation from a comparative perspective. The key findings are examined and presented on different levels: theoretical, methodological, and – as the focus – empirical. Having identified the most relevant innovations in each of the five countries, a total of 100 case studies are examined to explore the influence of these innovations on the quality of journalism and its normative role in democratic societies and to analyze which preconditions support or inhibit the development and implementation of the innovations in news organizations. The interdependencies between journalistic innovations and their media policy preconditions are compared in a system-analytical way – concluding with the lessons that can be learned from the macrolevel (policies) and the mesolevel (organizations). This insightful and truly international volume will interest professionals, scholars and students of journalism, media and communication studies, media industry studies, and related fields. The Open Access version of this book, available at https://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license. <!----> <!----> <!----> <!---->

Where does innovation in journalism come from, how is it implemented, and what factors drive or hinder its development? Scholars have explored these questions from different perspectives for over two decades. Our research holistically considers the broader factors that influence the development of journalistic innovation at the macro, meso, and micro levels, and whether it is internally or externally driven. In a three-year international research project, we have unpacked innovation with this multidimensional approach, looking at the most important innovations in journalism in Austria, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK. Our study focuses on the mutual interplay between journalists, media organizations, and society. We investigated 100 case studies with 137 guided interviews with senior managers or project leaders. The results show that the focus of supporting and obstructive factors is internal and on the meso level and that many parallels exist between media systems. Internal factors are the intrinsic motivation of individuals, which need the support of open-minded management, allowing a culture of experimentation without economic pressure and assembling interdisciplinary teams. Across countries and independent of the respective media system, three external key drivers of innovation in journalism can be identified: technology, societal change, and change in the digital media universe. The study confirms once again as if through a magnifying glass that journalism is primarily a public service, especially for those innovations that strengthen the role of journalism in a democratic society.

Este monográfico aborda ocho trabajos sobre temáticas complementarias entre sí que exploran aspectos relevantes de las transformaciones que está experimentando el ecosistema mediático habida cuenta de que, aunque afronta una considerable crisis de credibilidad y sostenibilidad, el periodismo sigue desempeñando un papel capital para garantizar valores básicos en las sociedades democráticas. En este sentido, la actividad periodística es un ámbito fértil para el desarrollo de la innovación ligada a la difusión de soluciones originales para afrontar las necesidades de las empresas informativas con nuevos productos, procesos, prácticas profesionales o soluciones tecnológicas que les permitan generar ventajas competitivas con las que contribuir a su sostenibilidad y a la mejora del servicio que ofrecen a los usuarios. A este respecto, conviene tener en cuenta que la innovación periodística no sólo abarca los aspectos relacionados con el producto y la tecnología, sino también con la calidad de las informaciones y su influencia social y ética, ya que las innovaciones inciden en las organizaciones, en los sistemas mediáticos y en los comportamientos en la sociedad. Con este horizonte, nuestro deseo es que el presente monográfico estimule la producción de futuros estudios que continúen ampliando este campo de investigación.