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.
Sign up for the Innovation in Focus Newsletter to get a monthly delivery of each topic.
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
How to optimize your videos on Instagram Reels
7 tips to make your Reels work
How does an AI news editor compare to a human editor?
There are pros and cons to using AI as your editor.
A database and text system created for resources during the pandemic
Public Input texting service allows readers to get in touch with journalists.
How to successfully hand-off projects and initiatives
Abigail Shaw put together multiple toolkits to help the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service continue to implement the initiatives and social media campaigns she has been planning all summer.
Tools for remote podcasting
Roshae Hemmings reports on Zencastr, SquadCast and Spreaker Studios.
Make your newsroom’s social media more accessible
Focusing on accessibility is a great way for newsrooms to make content available to a larger audience. The content will be more easily consumed when you put in the effort to make it accessible to everyone.
Augmented video editing: Tips and tricks
For Innovation in Focus this month, we partnered with mid-Missouri’s NBC affiliate KOMU-TV 8 to incorporate augmented video editing, combining animation with video footage, into a news piece.
Social media policies are not the real issue
Gabe Schneider, Kendra Pierre-Louis, Sisi Wei and Karen K. Ho in a discussion around how newsrooms can work to become anti-racist starting with their social media policies and how they enforce them. Reporters of color being punished and fired for tweets is a symptom of the larger problem that newsrooms need to tackle head on. … Continued
Descript, overdub: Q&A with Tamar Charney
Innovation in Focus is a series exploring emerging technology and methods of storytelling for newsrooms worldwide. We interview experts, test tools and provide our findings on a different topic each month. For Innovation in Focus this month I spoke with Tamar Charney, managing director for personalization and curation at NPR, about the ethics of redubbing, … Continued
Descript video: Tips and tricks
Innovation in Focus is a series exploring emerging technology and methods of storytelling for newsrooms worldwide. We interview experts, test tools and provide our findings on a different topic each month. This month I tested Descript’s new video editing software to create this video about a local maker and his business. Here are five tips … Continued