Media labs in Spain as catalytic agents of journalistic innovation: key features according to the experts

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n37a1836

Keywords:

Media labs, innovation, journalism, experts, Spain

Abstract

At the current crossroads that the media in general and journalism in particular are going through, innovation emerges not as a “nice to have” but as an urgent and peremptory need. In this context, media labs are presented as a structured and somewhat privileged space to do so. However, since both the academic and professional literature and the review of the websites of the different labs in the United States and Europe show that their configuration admits very diverse formulas, we wonder what is today the central feature of these spaces in Spain. To the extent that their raison d'être is clear, it will be possible to define to what extent their activity can (or cannot) be taken over by other realities. To find this out, we have conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 18 prominent voices in the field. The results show that the main feature of these spaces is precisely their innovative purpose. From this point on, the emphasis is placed on different signs of identity which, nevertheless, are complementary under the common denominator of sharing the same mission.

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Author Biographies

  • Susana Herrera Damas, University Carlos III, Spain

    Bachelor in Audiovisual Communication (University of Navarra, 1998) and in Sociology (UNED, 2004) and PhD in Communication (University of Navarra, 2002). Extraordinary Doctorate Award, she has edited 3 books, is (co)author of 5 of them and has written more than 90 articles published in leading academic journals. She has been Visiting Professor at the Universities of Ottawa (Canada), Texas in Austin (USA) and at the Missouri School of Journalism (USA). Since February 2008, she has been working at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, where she is an Associate Journalism Professor. Currently, her research focuses on media innovation in digital environments, with special attention to the search for best practices in specific initiatives related to digital interactive narratives and to constructive and solutions journalism. She is head of the Innovation on Digital Media research group whose activity can be consulted on its website https://innovationondigitalmedia.com/. Since 2020 she is accredited as Full Professor by ANECA.

  • Christian Camilo Satizábal Idarraga, University Carlos III, Spain

    Bachelor in Communication Studies and Master in Higher Education from the Universidad Santiago de Cali in Colombia and PhD in Media Research at the Universidad Carlos III of Madrid. During his academic career, he has been interested in case studies in audiovisual productions and in media innovation labs, a topic to which he dedicated his doctoral thesis.

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Published

01-07-2023

Issue

Section

Monographs

How to Cite

Herrera Damas, S., & Satizábal Idarraga, C. C. (2023). Media labs in Spain as catalytic agents of journalistic innovation: key features according to the experts. Doxa Comunicación. Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication Studies and Social Sciences, 37, 479-500. https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n37a1836
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