Who is thinking outside the box in journalism?

Updated readings on journalism innovation and disruption in media

Everyone’s always searching for that new lightbulb moment (regardless of the industry you’re in!)

Good afternoon,

Something different for the digest this week. We’re starting to gear up for the journalism innovation element of the University of [Central] Lancashire’s journalism leadership and innovation programme.

The cohort of media leaders are preparing for a deep breath over summer (and frantically finishing their second stage of the course and assignment too - good luck!).

Working with the ever-excellent Beth Ashton at Bright Sites, king of the sprint Laurens Vreekamp, budget-planning extraordinaire Craig Lawrenson and of course the ever-curious Francois Nel we’ll be working to help expand and inform the ideas which bubble up during the 10-week block. And we are refreshing our reading list and materials for the Autumn term ahead.

So that’s where you come in, it’s important we keep the programme updated with latest on what’s happening in journalism, media and publishing.

Who have you seen who you think is innovating when it comes to telling stories and reaching audiences?

It can be a publisher, an individual journalist, a platform, a social media channel, a new tool out there being used - the scope is broad. As long as it’s in the media/publishing sphere.

And likewise, if you or your team(s) are doing something new and different then you are very welcome to come and chat to our cohort of media leaders about what this involves and how you’ve gone about it. A great chance to reflect and tell the story of doing something new (which is nearly always a difficult thing to do!). Then drop me a message on the button above and we’d be very happy to hear from you.

And here’s a few of my own thoughts on journalism innovation from the archive

Plus, there’s a great long-read I’ve been shared by Kevin Anderson - which went straight on the summer reading list - Mastering the art of disruptive innovation in journalism from Nieman Reports. It’s not new, but it’s still a powerful and compelling, and relevant, read.

Look forward to hearing from you and weaving in your innovations and stories into our programme for the Autumn months.

This week marks two years since I left more than a decade at Reach PLC (that’s gone quick!) so I thought in next week’s newsletter, alongside the digest, I’d share a few thoughts about what life has been like since leaving a large media organisation and what I’ve learned in those two years. Hopefully that will be of interest. If you’re reading this and not signed up, then use the button below to get it direct to your inbox.

Thanks as always for reading and enjoy the rest of the week ahead.

Keep going.

Ed