They are called SWR X Lab, HH Lab, WDR Innovation Hub, DW Lab or ida (MDR/ZDF) – and they drive innovation and transformation in journalism: innovation labs in media companies. More recently, a new generation of innovation labs has emerged, building on the experience of the first labs.

Klaus Meier from our project team, together with Isabell Hogh-Janovsky, has investigated this trend in more detail and recently published the results in the international journal journalism and media. The article examines – based on organizational culture and innovation culture as a theoretical framework – how journalism innovation labs 2.0 are organized in media organizations and which learnings the lab members have made compared to the first generation pioneers. The exploratory study focused on five Labs in Germany. One key finding: Innovation Labs 2.0 rely on a process of continuous learning and dynamic change.

Hogh-Janovsky, Isabell,and Klaus Meier. 2021. Journalism Innovation Labs 2.0 in Media Organisations: A Motor for Transformation and Constant Learning. Journalism and Media 2: 361–378.https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia2030022