Innovation in Focus

Innovation in Focus is a series exploring new tech, tools and methods of storytelling for newsrooms worldwide. We interview experts, test ideas and provide our findings on a different topic each month.

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

Tables and charts in Excel demonstrate the changing percentage of people 65 and over in Lake County California compared to the adjusted death rate in the same time frame.

July 12, 2023

Going beyond local data to contextualize a community issue

Tools and advice for finding and analyzing data in rural Lake County, California.

Chart: Stake holder roles in decision making. 2 axes: Accountable-Informed and Responsibility-Consulted. Circle with "Probably you" in Accountable-Responsibility quadrant, Team A in Responsibility-Informed quadrant, Team B in Accountable-Consulted quadrant and Team C in Consulted-Informed quadrant.

July 10, 2023

Product development is built on a foundation of trust

A conversation with Elite Truong, VP of Product Strategy The vice president of product strategy at the American Press Institute and board secretary for the News Product Alliance, Elite Truong, has worked as a product manager at news organizations like Vox and led R&D and news product teams at The Washington Post. Truong advocates for … Continued

Emily Hood presents her proposed projects to reporters and editors in the Star Tribune’s office in downtown Minneapolis. Photo: Sydney Lewis

July 5, 2023

How to gain buy-in and knowledge before building a news product

At the Star Tribune, Emily Hood will be creating a Slackbot to generate audience analytics reports. These reports can better support the newsroom as they learn about their online performance and adjust their content strategies.

June 12, 2023

Sparking community and collaboration in a hybrid newsroom

A conversation with Anne Snabes of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Zoom calls and other virtual meetings have become a permanent part of how many workplaces, including newsrooms, function. Photo: Christopher Montgomery | Unsplash

June 5, 2023

10 things to build community in your remote or hybrid news organization

Even before the pandemic, reporters would often file from coffee shops, cars or living room floors — so we are familiar with a remote or hybrid work setting. Despite this, it’s still easy to feel isolated or disconnected from our colleagues when everyone isn’t given the opportunity to see each other and build relationships in … Continued