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
Using zines to connect with a hyper-specific audience
Print is not dead: A conversation with Sarah Bennett Working with artists and journalists at all skill levels in her print shop, Sarah Bennett is familiar with tailoring zines to meet the needs of different producers and audiences. The Innovation in Focus team met with Bennett to talk about some of the common challenges she … Continued
Tips and tools for building an impact report grounded in your mission
A conversation with Sarah Luyengi from Borderless When creating impact reports at Borderless Magazine, Sarah Luyengi, operations associate, said she thinks about an aspect of the news organization’s mission: Community is at the center of everything they do. In a recent interview with the Innovation in Focus team, Luyengi defined impact as how Borderless consistently … Continued
Tips for communicating your newsroom’s impact
Templates and lessons learned from the Flathead Beacon’s first report.
How to increase community engagement on Facebook
Using targeted ads to encourage reader participation.
Key questions to consider when building voter guides
A conversation with Erica Peterson, Knight Election Hub.
How to create targeted service journalism from listening efforts
Integrating solutions journalism into post-publication engagement.
How we built a statewide election map
A simple, no-code solution to sharing voting information and four additional tools for your newsroom election projects.
An alternative strategy for social engagement
The Markup dives into Reddit threads.
Advertising on Meta
Algorithms, newsletters and increasing your reach through paid ads.
Understanding and communicating impact
How we analyzed our reader survey and used the results to tell our story at Next City.