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
How newsrooms can reimagine community safety at events
A conversation with Mariah Castañeda, LA Public Press.
Generating revenue through merchandise community partnerships
Block Club Chicago brought in $100,000 from Gator Watch, a conversation on merch and partnerships with Maple Walker Lloyd.
How to work with a local artist to design merch for your newsroom
Saco Bay News, Black Iowa News, Forth Worth Report and My Ballard created T-shirts with their communities.
How to authentically ask for audience participation in newsletters
A conversation with Sam Cholke and Andrew Haeg.
Building interactive visuals for newsletter engagement
How a newsletter drew participation through a holiday gift guide.
How to build news quizzes to encourage habitual engagement
Missouri Business Alert expands their quiz from Instagram to newsletters.
Crafting an engaging news quiz: “Help people feel that there is a human heart beating behind the in-depth news”
A Q&A with Fritz Holznagel at The Conversation.
Centering your community in reproductive justice reporting
Sourcing, context and tips for reporting.
Building relationships is the best tool for making a collaborative work
A conversation with Heather May, director of the Great Salt Lake Collaborative.
Testing tools to promote better collaboration in editorial budgets
How Notion, Coda and Google Tables (beta) stacked up.