New online textbook is comprehensive resource for teaching media entrepreneurship

This Q&A has been edited for space and clarity. An evolving online textbook, written and reviewed by entrepreneurs, student innovators and educators, prepares journalism students to take entrepreneurial work from “idea to implementation.” Co-editor Michelle Barrett Ferrier, 2016–17 RJI Fellow and an Ohio University professor, says “Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship” was born out of the … Continued

RJI Fellow expands work on mobile news app for smaller news organizations

Push notifications from The New York Times, the Guardian, BuzzFeed and The Washington Post alert us every day to scandal, horror, scientific achievement and grief. However, this capability lies mainly in the realm of large news organizations. Without a 24-hour news desk, smaller news outlets — especially weeklies and investigative centers — struggle to remind users … Continued

Journalism, the intelligence community and technology

Editor’s note: The author, who spent a year as an RJI Fellow exploring ways to report and create news stories using databases, has recently received funding to develop intelligence applications of his Structured Stories journalism database. The funding is being provided by the U.S. federal government’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

Media Innovation Summit raises challenges, solutions for student innovators

Student founders of color face unique challenges to creating sustainable ventures in the media innovation space. These include advertiser biases, lack of technological development support and plain old-fashioned racism. Top innovators of color in media entrepreneurship — from broadcast media and education to online and hyperlocal enterprises — came together April 22 to advance solutions … Continued