Innovation in Focus
Innovation in Focus is a series exploring new tech, tools and methods of storytelling for journalism. We interview experts, test ideas and provide our findings with templates, guidance and how-tos so you can implement the same innovations in your newsroom.
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Whether you’re a one-man band or a large metro, this series will help you take the next step in innovative journalism.
Email the editor: lytle@rjionline.org
Quick experiments to find what resonates with your audience
Three different types of vertical video with the Maine Monitor to find what works Resources to replicate this experiment The Maine Monitor is a non-profit organization which brings investigative and explanatory content to Maine citizens. Founded in 2020, through the Maine Center for Public Interesting Reporting, the publication reaches across the state. They have consistently … Continued
How to get started creating vertical videos
A conversation with creator journalist Alexa Stone.
How to partner with a local business to grow your newsletter subscribers
We made coffee punch cards to incentivize customers to subscribe to a newsletter.
Driving newsletter subscriptions through postcards
A community engagement project, analog style Covering everything from school district events to sports in a Kansas town of about 6,000 residents, reporters at the Eudora Times are well connected with their community. Still, the paper was interested in extending their reach beyond their immediate surroundings. They also wanted to draw more eyes to their … Continued
Spreading hope and expanding community through physical mail
A conversation with Katie Hawkins-Gaar.
Creative in-person ideas to increase audience engagement
A conversation with Gabrielle Contesti.
Building a syllabus companion to help educators integrate podcasts into their classrooms
A conversation with Jenna Spinelle and Brandon Stover.
No-code tools to build a podcast explorer for educators
Experimenting with free tools to organize episodes into a resource educators can use.
This year we launched 16 short-term experiments with newsrooms across the country
From personal ads to web scraping and revenue streams; here’s what we learned
Creating a directory of job listings for public media
A conversation with Alex Curley.