Innovation Journalism, by Raul Reis
Innovation Journalism (InJo) is a recent media movement that focuses on covering stories about innovation in technology, science, the environment, politics and business in a comprehensive, multifaceted and creative way. InJo stories are well researched and presented in several media platforms (web, print, broadcast), often using new multimedia technologies (audio and video podcasts, blogs, slide shows, graphics) that integrate diverse aspects of creative storytelling.
Although major publications such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have published special sections or inserts on innovation, the topic hasn’t received consistent media coverage because it doesn’t fit into traditional media beats. By definition, InJo overlaps and brings together strands from areas as diverse as business and computer science, or mathematics and pubic policy. However, the topic has really taken off online, with the proliferation of sites on the subject, and major media outlets like the N.Y.Times sponsoring blogs such as BITS, a very successful blog covering business, innovation and technology.
Coined only five years ago, the term innovation journalism has been gaining momentum and recognition worldwide. Countries such as Sweden, Norway and Finland have taken the lead in starting and promoting innovation initiatives, with national agencies such as Vinnova, the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems, partnering with universities and publications to finance and co-sponsor major media innovation initiatives. Earlier this fall, Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, awarded 900,000 Euros to an academic consortium that will study global innovation journalism in the next two years. Similar projects have been popping up throughout Europe, with the European Union’s Knowledge4Innovation (K4I) initiative being launched at the European Parliament last spring to foment innovation among member nations.
In the United States, InJo has been particularly prominent in Silicon Valley and the greater Bay Area, where Stanford University has had a leading role sponsoring innovation journalism programs such as the annual InJo conference, which brings together journalists, business entrepreneurs, computer scientists, students and academics to discuss how media, government, scientists and the private sector can collaborate on innovation initiatives.
