Change Management in Cross-Media Organizational Development: Evidence from a Public Service Media Provider in Germany

This article investigates cross-media change management in public service media (PSM) through a case study of SWR Aktuell, the cross-media news format of Südwestrundfunk (SWR), one of Germany’s largest regional public service broadcasters. Using a multi-method approach—including interviews with 24 managers across hierarchical levels and editorial observations in 15 newsrooms—the study explores how managers and journalists contribute to organizational change, evaluates the effectiveness of cross-media training, and examines the impact of management strategies on journalistic autonomy, guided by the ADKAR model. Findings highlight the importance of voluntary participation, peer-to-peer learning, and tailored training in facilitating change. Managers shaped strategic direction, while journalists were central to implementation. A predominantly cooperative leadership culture helped preserve journalistic autonomy. Cross-media participation was encouraged rather than enforced, and medium-specific traditions were respected where appropriate. However, local structural and cultural conditions and differing managerial approaches in the headquarters and regional studios influenced journalists’ autonomy. By bridging newsroom ethnography with change management theory, the article offers conceptual and practical insights into digital transformation within mission-driven media organizations. To better reflect the institutional specificities of PSM, it proposes an expanded model—ADKAR + PSB—which adds Professional identity, Structure, and Benefit to the public as critical dimensions.