current projects

INDUSTRY STUDIES

Exploring the Future of Public-Interest News

The News Futures 2035 project, spearheaded by Dr François Nel at the Media Innovation Studio, University of Lancashire, is a pioneering foresight initiative responding to the vital need to secure the future of public-interest news in the UK. Initiated in October 2022, this project has united a diverse group of experts from within and beyond the news industry to envision and craft a sustainable future for news.

This action-research endeavour funded by the Google News Initiative employed a range of methods – scenario planning, focus groups, a Delphi study and expert interviews – and has focused on developing new visions and alternative scenarios and fostering robust relationships centred around ensuring the availability of trustworthy public-interest news. Through extensive discussions and collaborations, the project explored how we might avoid a dystopian future where trusted news is scarce, and misinformation prevails.

The insights and strategies developed through the News Futures 2035 project are poised to influence not only the UK media landscape but also set precedents globally, reflecting the British media’s historical role as a pacesetter in the industry.

For those interested in the evolving dynamics of media and journalism, staying connected with the News Futures 2035 project is essential.

  • Engage with us and help shape the future of news by expressing your interest here (link to interest form).
  • Watch our video recap of the roundtables here (link to video) to see the lively discussions and innovative ideas that emerged from this pivotal project.

World Press Trends for WAN-IFRA, the World Association of Newspaper and News Publishers

In February 2018, the IRG team accepted the invitation from the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) to take on World Press Trends, which has provided the most authoritative insights into the dynamics of the global news industry since 1989. Dr François Nel is the editor of WPT, and Dr Coral Milbun-Curtis is the chief data analyst. Our first presentation of WPT was on June 8th at the 70th Congress of WAN-IFRA  held in Portugal.

  • Download the latest report here.

Media Sustainability Barometer in collaboration with GFMD, the Global Forum for Media Development

With the support of the Google News Initiative, the IRG team worked on a pilot study with the aim of producing an ongoing, broad-based, quantitative tool to measure, monitor, and model the forces shaping media sustainability globally. We anticipate media leaders, policymakers and other development actors will use the MSB and incorporate it into their evidence-based decision-making. The pilot edition focuses on exploring media sustainability factors in relation to the UK in the context of the G7 bloc of highly industrialised nations and the BRICS association of major emerging economies.

  • The 24-page report is available for download.

The World News Publishers Outlook

The Innovation Research Group (IRG) is collaborating with the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) on a study to better understand and benchmark senior decision-makers’ responses to the challenges across the news company value chain.

The study aims to help news media executives to:

  • benchmark their company’s performance against industry norms around the world
  • compare the strategic priorities of leaders from the C-suite and across editorial, commercial and technology management
  • identify if the priorities of highly profitable companies differ from those of loss-making ones

We are inviting editorial, commercial, technology and senior management to complete a 20-question survey that is available in 10 languages: English as well as Arabic, Chinese, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

  • The 2016/7 study findings were reported in the World News Publishers Outlook  2017. The report has been published annually since. The next study is underway in collaboration with WAN-IFRA and is expected to be published in January 2025.

ACADEMIC PAPERS

Selected research papers include:

Nel, F. and Rymajdo, K. (2024)  Navigating Change With Foresight and Innovation. Media and Communication, 12. doi:https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.7497

Nel, F. and Rymajdo, K. (2024) Published Evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee Hearing: The future of news: impartiality, trust and technology. 

Nel, F. and Rymajdo, K. (2023). The News Futures 2035 Project: Interim Report. Preston, UK: Media Innovation Studio, University of Central Lancashire.

World Press Trends Outlook 2023-4 report for WAN-IFRA, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers. Paris/Frankfurt.

Nel F, Milburn-Curtis C. (2022). ‘Down, but not out: journalism jobs and media sustainability in the UK’. In Marjoribanks, T. Zion, L., O’Donnell, P. and Sherwood, M., eds. (2022) Journalists and Job Loss. Routledge Research in Journalism series. Routledge, pp.171-182. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429325588 

Nel, F., Milburn-Curtis, C. & Lehtisaari, K. (2020). Successful Exploration: Organisational Ambidexterity and Performance in News Media Firms. Nordic Journal of Media Management, 1(1), 45-62. DOI : 10.5278/njmm.2597-0445.3495

Nel, François, Lehtisaari, Katja and Milburn-Curtis, Coral. (2017). ‘Choosing for success, how divergent priorities of innovating leaders at ambidextrous news media forms reflect on the bottom line.’ Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Media Markets, Global Media–Canadian Edition, 10 (1).

Nel, François, Lehtisaari, Katja, and Milburn-Curtis, Coral. (2015). ‘Exploring confidence: entrepreneurial leadership in news media organisations.’ International Media Management Academic Association (IMMAA) Annual Conference, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Journalism, 17-18 September 2015.

Lehtisaari, Katja and Nel, François (2015) ‘Play, pause, stop? Newsmedia managers’ perspectives on change.’ Panel: Shifting journalistic cultures: Challenges for innovating journalists and media managers. 15th Aleksanteri Conference of the Culture and Russian Society. University of Helsinki, Finland, 21-23 October 2015.

Nel, François, Lehtisaari, Katja and Milburn-Curtis, Coral. (2015) ‘Clashes or Consensus? What editorial, commercial and senior newspaper executives at profitable and unprofitable companies believe about the dynamic capabilities of their firms – and each other’s ability to deliver.’ Negotiating Culture Conference, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Oxford, 28-30 October 2015.

  • We welcome collaboration opportunities, so please don’t hesitate to contact us.