The media industry is facing an ongoing digital transformation that challenges existing business models and leads to fundamental changes in how journalism is produced and distributed. Developing new editorial and commercial services and products are thus deemed crucial to maintain viable media organizations in the future. Uncertainty about which innovations are profitable in the short and long term require media organizations to work in parallel with the efficiency of current production and workflow while actively experimenting with new ideas and concepts to develop solutions that can contribute to increased revenues.
The project OMEN: Organizing for Media Innovation addresses these challenges together with the partner companies Sunnmørsposten (Polaris), Nationen (Tun Media) and Moss Avis (Amedia).
By using a variety of action research methods, workshop methodologies and ethnographic fieldwork, the project aims at developing new knowledge about how newsrooms can organize, navigate and innovate in turbulent and uncertain environments.
The project also develops new theoretical understanding of how to implement innovation and manage organizational change processes in areas that require development of new skills and use of new technology.
The project is led by the Work Research Institute at OsloMet and carried out in collaboration with Department of Journalism and Media Studies, OsloMet, Volda University College, University of Gothenburg, and University of Technology, Sydney and sponsored by the Norwegian Research Council.