Strengthening Journalism in The Digital Age: The Role of External Innovation Support for Journalism

Existing literature has extensively examined journalistic innovation actors at the micro and meso levels, including journalistic entrepreneurs, newsrooms, and media organizations. However, few scholarly works have considered the role of external stakeholders that support journalism innovation at the macro level, including public, private, and philanthropic organizations that increasingly provide financial, structural or soft support. Therefore, this dissertation conceptually and empirically explores the relevance of this external innovation support for journalism. It is thereby guided by the following research question: What are the opportunities and limitations of external innovation support for journalism? The work is anchored in existing literature from media innovation and media business studies, media structures and policy literature as well as general innovation (policy) research. Drawing on this body of research, it identifies several research gaps. Notably, there is a scarcity of studies on public innovation support, particularly when compared to the number of studies on private initiatives such as the Google News Initiative or foundation-led efforts. Also, existing studies largely take a normative approach, focusing on ethical concerns and risks of media capture, while its potential benefits remain underexplored. Consequently, this dissertation comprises a total of three studies that aim to fill these gaps and approach the topic from two angles. On one hand, Studies I and II focus on the supporters’ perspective on the context, form and nature of public innovation support for journalism. On the other hand, Study III considers the beneficiaries’ perspective on external innovation support’s effectiveness in helping them overcome challenges in their innovation processes. Methodologically, Study I is conceptual, whereas Studies II and III are empirical, with one adopting a retrospective and the other a longitudinal multiple case study approach. This combination allows for both theoretical exploration of the topic and an in-depth analysis through interviews, document analysis, and observations. The findings introduce a new analytical framework and research agenda for examining (public) support structures for innovation in journalism, as well as offer empirical insights into their functioning. They thereby contribute to both theory and practice and build a strong basis for future studies.