On innovation journalism (InJo)
Innovation has become a key competitive factor for companies, regions and nations operating in a global economy. As research and the related product development are among the cornerstones of national economies within innovation economies, monitoring and communicating the progress in innovation activities have received a whole new meaning. The role of the media in instigating innovation in society and decision-making promoting innovativeness has continuously grown in importance. Questions of innovation are, however, a relatively new field for the media. Developing innovation journalism aims to improve the media’s preparedness to discuss questions related to innovation.
In a situation where rapid change has become one the constant characteristics of societies, innovation journalism emphasises the need for futures knowledge in the media. We need to be able to identify the development trends, risks, challenges and opportunities as well as the potential weak signals affecting the future and invite a comprehensive and continuing debate on them. Top-level reporting on innovation activities is sometimes hindered by the traditional genre boundaries in journalism, which should be questioned. Innovation journalism cannot be a separate segment in journalism. Rather it is a new perspective, which relates to all media activities.
Background to InJo
Since 2003 the Swedish Vinnova has funded a fellowship programme in innovation journalism. Through this programme, six to seven Swedish journalists spend from four to six months annually working for American magazines or papers. The programme is initiated and headed by Dr David Nordfors, Senior Researcher Scholar in innovation journalism at Stanford University.
The introduction of innovation journalism to Finland has been spearheaded by Dr Seppo Sisättö in collaboration with the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes), after working for six months at Stanford as a Fulbright Scholar. Since 2004, the following innovation journalism activities have taken place in Finland:
- Innovation journalism courses at the University of Tampere. The third course is scheduled to begin in early 2007.
- A two-year study funded by Tekes and headed by Dr Erkki Kauhanen. The study is scheduled to end in December 2006. InJo course for journalism students at the University of Jyväskylä.
- InJo pilot programme in the Maaseudun Tulevaisuus newspaper.
- The Economic Information Office has incorporated InJo as one of the themes in its training programme for economic journalists.
- A two-year fellowship programme in innovation journalism supervised by Sitra.
1. Sitra’s InJo programme
The two-year fellowship programme launched by Sitra in summer 2005 offers Finnish journalists an opportunity to spend four months working with the American media. Furthermore, the programme includes three one-week study periods at Stanford University, for which the participants will receive a certificate of programme participation. The project is carried out in collaboration with, and as part of, Vinnova’s innovation journalism programme. The programme is coordinated by Dr Seppo Sisättö.
2. Funding the programme
Sitra covers the administrative costs of the Finnish InJo Programme. Other funding depends on the participants’ own initiative. The head of the programme will assist in finding funding for the Stanford University fee in particular, which is $18,000 (€15,000). In addition to this sum, the scholarship recipient has to acquire funding for travel and accommodation in the USA.
So far, experience has shown that Finnish participants have arranged funding partly through their employers or through a closely associated organisation, such as a foundation, as well as grants awarded by various funds. Acquiring funding can be time consuming and therefore the aim is to complete the selection process as early as possible before the scholarship period (January–February) begins. Covering the expenses of a four- or five-month stay in the USA and the associated travel expenses is a challenge but not impossible.
3. Programme administration
Sitra’s InJo programme steering group is chaired by Dr Antti Hautamäki, who currently works at the University of California, Berkeley. The group selects the scholarship recipients and monitors the project so as to gather a sufficient amount of information and experience by the time the project ends in June 2007 in order to assess the results and examine potential future activities.
The members of the steering group are:
Ari Järvinen (YLE)
Jukka Koivisto (Economic Information Office)
Lauri Kontro (Maaseudun Tulevaisuus)
Erkki Laatikainen (Keskisuomalainen)
Kaarle Nordenstreng (University of Tampere)
Jari Romanainen (Tekes)
Aino Sallinen (University of Jyväskylä)
Janne Virkkunen (Helsingin Sanomat)
Seppo Sisättö (secretary)
4. InJo study
The Finnish Information Journalism Research Programme, funded by Tekes, is a research and development project that aims to clarify the concept of innovation journalism, chart the status of innovation journalism in the Finnish media, study the professional cultures of editorial rooms and editors, their work practices, attitudes, visions and competence from the perspective of reporting on innovation activity, and examine the media-related needs, fears, benefits and risks of companies and organisations, as well as their potential for collaboration, in terms of innovations. The senior researcher in the project is Dr Erkki Kauhanen, science journalist.
In the course of the study, the concept of innovation journalism has come to be further specified as covering all aspects of journalism that are conscious of the futures perspective. Thus, the concept also refers not only to technological and commercial innovations but also to social innovations. Innovation activity is seen as a central part of the overall social process, foresight activities, the significance of which is particularly highlighted by the dramatic structural changes currently taking place. In foresight work, social and technological changes are mutually interdependent, continually creating challenges and opportunities for each other and society.
In other words, innovation journalism is a means of making foresight work conducted in society more transparent. It is future-oriented journalism, which in a society under constant change aims to make foresight work an integral part of everyday journalism. In a functional civic society, journalistic media “are seen as one of the key contributors to the process of social debate and the creation of knowledge and political will. As the significance of foresight debate receives greater emphasis, journalists will need new tools to analyse and manage futures knowledge. Currently, none of these tools are provided through training in journalism.
In addition to research, Finland has also developed training in innovation journalism. Two innovation journalism courses, which were held in the winters of 2004–2005 and 2005–2006, provided the experience for further development of such training on a course scheduled to take place in 2007. Besides the course, several separate training events and workshops have been organised for various target groups.
5. Fellows
The first Finnish fellows in the Sitra programme were Jyrki Alkio, journalist from Helsingin Sanomat, and Turo Uskali, PhD, from the University of Jyväskylä. Alkio worked for four months with Red Herring in Belmont near San Francisco, and Turo Uskali will be working as a researcher in Dr David Nordfors’ team at Stanford until mid-2007.
The steering group convened in May 2006 and selected Ilkka Luukkonen, a journalist from Maaseudun Tulevaisuus, and Kari Koljonen, a journalist and researcher working for the University of Tampere and the Taloussanomat financial newspaper, as new fellows for the programme period beginning in early 2007.
6. Application process
Another one to two Finnish journalists may still be accepted for the next fellowship period. The steering group will next convene in October 2006.
For further information on the application process, please contact:
Seppo Sisättö, tel. +358 50 360 2600
Antti Hautamäki, e-mail: antti.hautamaki at kolumbus.fi
Erkki Kauhanen (research), e-mail: erkki.kauhanen at uta.fi