Market Orientation of News Startups

Abstract

The media industry is undergoing major disruptions, which foster innovation but make starting a new business particularly difficult. In this instable environment, theory suggests market orientation being important for success. Based on four case studies of early stage news startups, I investigate processes and practices of market orientation in the media. The results show that startups generate market intelligence in various ways and, in doing so, prioritize markets. Most attention is dedicated to learning about users, while they put less effort into examining businesses and competitors. Overall, market orientation seems to have a positive influence on a news startup's survival and support innovation.