Creativity and Innovation in Technology-Mediated Journalistic Work: Mapping out Enablers and Constraints

Abstract

This qualitative study examines creativity and innovation in dispersed, journalistic teams. Specifically, we study the factors enabling and constraining creativity and innovation in journalistic work in technology-mediated settings and explore how technology shapes these phenomena in dispersed journalistic teams. The study is motivated by the media industry’s heightened need for creativity and innovation as well as the changing nature of working life where an increasing amount of work is done via information and communication technologies. By closely examining two journalistic teams and their idea sharing and development processes, this study finds that successful creative work and innovation in dispersed journalistic teams is characterized by intentional idea sharing and development habits and tangible goals as well as a psychologically safe communication climate. Furthermore, team characteristics, such as geographical dispersion and team history also shape creativity and innovation. The findings indicate that communication technology gives journalists more opportunities for sharing ideas, but it also induces uncertainty into the idea development phase. The study extends existing knowledge on remote, technology-mediated work in media organizations and offers valuable practical implications as the findings can encourage new cultures of experimentation and innovation in media organizations.