Olsen, Ragnhild Kr. ; Solvoll, Mona K.

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Innovation through crisis

This book provides insights into the interplay between crisis, resilience, and innovation within news media. Examining how Norwegian news media adapted and innovated during the Covid-19 pandemic, it offers new knowledge on news organisations’ resilience strategies and their ability to create value for themselves, their audiences, and for the broader society during times of unprecedented uncertainty. Through a diverse array of qualitative and quantitative methods, the research presented uncovers how crises serve as both opportunities for innovation and threats to journalism practices and businesses. Drawing on perspectives from journalism and media innovation studies, management and organisational research, and innovation theory, the empirical investigation identifies three overarching themes: the crisis as a catalyst for innovation, a critical test of resilience, and an amplifier of value creation. Through several empirical studies, we demonstrate how the Covid-19 pandemic prompted urgency- and ambition-driven innovation in Norwegian news media. This research showcases how organisations rapidly adapted to the crisis using digital tools, and how they introduced new services, amplifying economic and social value creation while navigating challenges to news workers’ well-being. In conclusion, the theoretical perspectives on crisis, resilience, and innovation shed light on the transformative journey of Norway’s news media during the Covid-19 crisis, offering valuable insights for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers alike. Mona K. Solvoll is associate professor at the School of Communication, Leadership and Marketing at Kristiania University College, Norway. Ragnhild Kr. Olsen is associate professor at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway. The research in the book originates from the “Media Innovation Through the Corona Crisis” project at the BI Norwegian Business School (2020-2021), funded by the Research Council of Norway.