Collaboration and separation : how news companies find innovation

Abstract

This research examines issues arising when employees at news media companies attempt to collaborate with each other to create, develop and execute strategies intended to enhance the organization's financial standing. The study involves a qualitative content analysis of interviews with individuals working in the editorial and various business (e.g., advertising, marketing) departments at various news organizations, including traditional (companies whose roots lie in print or broadcast) and new (digital-only) media. The research builds on the latest scholarship that examines how to create a culture within a news company that fosters innovation, be it process or product, and the dynamics at play between different departments at such companies. The findings support previous research that shows the age and type of news organization (traditional versus start-up) affect collaboration. The research also provides a pathway for developing a "best-practices" strategy to help foster change. The idea of creating "intrepreneurial" thinking -- entrepreneurial attitudes within a company -- is an emerging area in journalism scholarship and this work represents only a step that offers more research opportunities in the best collaborative practices.