CfP Monograph: "Innovation In Journalism. Expanding The Field Of Research"

07-02-2022

Research into journalism innovation has undergone considerable growth over the last two decades. However, theoretical, methodological, and systematic contributions have received scarce attention, fragmented at best, as reflected in several literature reviews (Bleyen et al., 2014; Dogruel, 2015; Belair-Gagnon and Steinke, 2020; García-Avilés, 2021a).
Journalism in the digital age is increasingly difficult to define, and its boundaries are becoming blurred (Carlson and Lewis, 2015), yet it still plays a crucial role in guaranteeing the basic values of democratic societies, such as freedom, justice, equality, and solidarity. Therefore, it is important not only to identify how innovation has been implemented in different processes, products, or areas of journalism, but also to understand how they have influenced the industry and, ultimately, society (Luengo and Herrera, 2021).
Thus, research on journalism innovation should consider the complexity of interrelated contextual factors, the convergence of news and technology, and the changing professional context (Konow-Lund, Hågvar and Olsson, 2019), as well as structural elements or organizational innovations such as media labs, which are “engines of transformation” (Hogh-Janovsky and Meier, 2021). As argued by Leyla Dogruel (2014, 62), research into journalism innovation “demands a combination of normative theory regarding the media, theoretical and empirical approaches to economics, sociology, communication and innovation theory, as well as media-specific frameworks”.
Our approach to understanding innovation prioritizes the public-service value of journalism, its relationships with audiences, and the sustainability of the media in a precarious economic context. In this regard, journalism innovation should not only focus on product and technology-related aspects, but also on news quality, social impact, and ethics, because in addition to its economic value, media innovation has an influence on organizations, media systems and news consumers.
There is a need for further research into the nature, conceptualization, and effects of journalistic innovation. Researchers interested in processes of media transformation should explore further in order to determine the objects of study that can be labelled as ‘innovations’ and comprehensively integrate different perspectives and methodologies. Scholars should strive to engage in theoretical reasoning to expand diffusion theory and to consider the challenges associated with Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, disruptive players such as tech companies, as well as the changing political environment. Methodological proposals for research are also encouraged. New approaches are welcome on the ways in which innovation and transfers between research and journalistic practice can be integrated into journalism education (Meier and Schützeneder, 2019). It is necessary to expand the traditional methods of single case studies to include longitudinal investigations considering broader factors that might influence the development of journalistic innovation at the macro, mezzo, and micro levels. Furthermore, there is a need for comparative studies of an international nature in order to shed light on innovation in diverse contexts and markets, so that news organizations can grow, adapt, react, and transform themselves.
The Covid-19 crisis is speeding up the process of media transformation (García-Avilés, 2021b). The pandemic has fuelled innovative practices in the media and has contributed to understanding the reasons why they promote public service journalism, thereby providing an opportunity for innovation (Hess and Waller, 2020).

Keywords:
Journalism innovation, Diffusion of Innovation, Research, Journalism.

Topics:
• Conception of journalism innovation
• History of journalism innovation
• Research methodologies
• Innovation ethics
• Education in journalism innovation
• Innovation theory
• Social innovation
• Failed innovation
• Media innovation and democracy
• Diffusion of innovation
• Organizational culture
• Business models
• News genres and content
• Audience participation
• Media labs and news start-ups
• Covid-19 and innovation