Redefining journalistic innovation: towards a concept guided by public and democratic values
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.9771/contemporanea.v23i1.69485Keywords:
Innovation, journalism, public good, democracyAbstract
The article critically examines the appropriation of the classical concept of innovation in Journalism, highlighting the tensions between a market-oriented logic—focused on competitive advantage and profit—and the profession’s social mission as a public good essential to democracy. It revisits the economic and administrative origins of innovation, particularly in the works of Schumpeter and the Oslo Manual, noting that such definitions prioritize scalable and marketable outcomes that are often incompatible with values such as plurality, quality, and informational integrity. Within the journalistic field, the study emphasizes the predominance of innovations aimed at increasing audience reach and financial sustainability—such as SEO, clickbait, native ads, and paywall models—whose effects on credibility and social relevance are not always positive. The article argues that journalistic innovation, frequently associated with economic and technological efficiency, must be understood as a process guided by democratic, ethical, and public values. It contends that journalism, as a public good and an institution essential to democracy, requires its own parameters for assessing innovation, based on qualitative criteria such as diversity of perspectives, informational rigor, and contribution to public debate. The study concludes that innovating in journalism should mean strengthening its social mission and its role in sustaining democratic life, rather than merely ensuring market competitiveness.
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