Responsible innovation in mobile journalism : Exploring professional journalists` learning and innovation processes

Denne avhandlingen handler om innovasjon i mobiljournalistikk, og utforsker hvordan profesjonelle TV- og avisjournalister bruker smarttelefoner som journalistisk produksjonsverktøy. I tillegg reflekteres kritisk over utfordringer som kan knyttes til at journalister satser i sitt arbeid på datateknologi som ikke bare integrerer flere risikoteknologier men bygger på infrastrukturer som er optimalisert for omfattende dataekstraksjon og kommersielle overvåkingspraksiser. Det overordnete spørsmålet som søkes besvart i avhandlingen er: Hva er ansvarlig innovasjon i mobiljournalistikk? For å finne svar på forskningsspørsmålet kombineres empiriske tilnærminger og analytisk-teoretiske perspektiver. Innovasjon forstås her som en kompleks sosiokulturell læringsprosess der ´ansvarlig innovasjon´ pekes ut som en normativ meta-kategori. I den empiriske delen i avhandlingen undersøkes profesjonelle journalisters konkrete lærings- og innovasjonsprosesser. Basert på etnografi-inspirerte metoder som deltakende observasjon, dybdeintervjuer og uformelle samtaler belyser den empiriske delen av avhandlingen innovasjon i mobiljournalistikk gjennom to ulike casestudier. I den første casen utforskes et globalt pioner-nettverk som fremstår som en viktig kollektiv aktør i innovativ mobiljournalistikk. I den andre casen undersøkes et konkret trainingsarrangement for profesjonelle avisjournalister som ledd i en omfattende innovasjonsprosess i en tradisjonell medieorganisasjon. Den analytisk-teoretiske delen av avhandlingen tar for seg meta-konseptet `ansvarlig innovasjon´ og belyser kritisk den politiske økonomien knyttet til lærings- og kunnskapsutvikling. Ved hjelp av Zuboffs (2019) teori om overvåkningskapitalisme fokuserer denne delen av avhandlingen på større og mer langsiktige samfunnskonsekvenser knyttet til bruk av mobilteknologi i journalistikk. Ved å peke på ulike risikoer ved uregulerte former for datainnsamling og utfordringer knyttet til privatisering av kunnskap og kunnskapsproduksjon omhandler den teoretisk-analytiske delen hva som står på spill for journalister, medieorganisasjoner og samfunnet i sin helhet når mobilteknologi blir tatt ukritisk i bruk. Det konkluderes med at en uansvarlig og risikofylt bruk av mobilteknologi og relaterte infrastrukturer ikke tegner et bilde av mobiljournalistikk som en demokratiserende kraft (og tidsriktig produksjonsmåte) men heller en praksis som kan bidra til å undergrave demokratiets fundamenter gjennom omfattende dataekstraksjon og kommersielt motiverte overvåkningspraksiser. For å møte komplekse risikoer ved bruk av teknologisk innovasjon i mobiljournalistikk og å kunne finne konstruktive løsninger diskuteres det nye europeiske forsknings- og innovasjonsrammeverket Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) som sikter mot grunnleggende endringer i nåværende innovasjons- og forskningspraksis. Med utgangspunkt i idéer og metoder fra RRI foreslås ulike handlingsopsjoner på individ-, organisasjonps- og samfunnsnivå samt anbefalinger hva `ansvarlig innovasjon i mobiljournalistikk` innebærer. Et overordnet mål med avhandlingen er å bidra i, og berike, den akademiske og offentlige debatten ved å gi konkrete innblikk i profesjonelle journalisters læringssituasjoner og innovasjonsprosesser og gjennom den rette oppmerksomheten mot fundamentale utfordringer ved bruk av kompleks datateknologi og infrastrukturer i samfunnet.This thesis examines innovation in the field of mobile journalism by examining how professional broadcast and print journalists learn about and adopt mobile technology for their journalistic practice and by investigating critically the side effects from journalists’ adoption of mobile computing platforms, encompassing highly convergent and different risk technologies. The overarching research question that guided this work asked: What is responsible innovation in mobile journalism? To find answers to this overarching research endeavor, I applied an approach that combines empirical and analytical-conceptual perspectives. Innovation is conceptualized in this work as a complex sociocultural process of learning, and responsible innovation is viewed as a meta-category of innovation. The empirical part sets out to understand actual learning practices and innovation processes by examining how professional print and broadcast journalists learn to adopt mobile technology and innovate through mobile journalism in different social settings. Based on a qualitative approach that applies methods such as long-term observations, participant observation, in-depth interviews, and informal conversations, the empirical part of the thesis provides insight into professional journalists’ individual motivations and experiences, organizational and new collective approaches to innovation, and learning processes. The conceptual part of the thesis examines the meta-concept of “responsible innovation” more closely by applying a critical perspective of political economy on learning and knowledge processes. Viewed through the lens of Zuboff’s (2019) surveillance capitalism theory, this part of the thesis draws attention to broader societal consequences attached to the adoption of mobile technology in journalism. By uncovering emerging risks and challenges from unregulated dataveillance and privatization of knowledge, this part demonstrates what is at stake if mobile technology is irresponsibly adopted by a risk group – in this case, journalists – and how, from this perspective, mobile journalism fails to emerge as a democratic force, thereby undermining the fundaments of democracy. To counteract the identified and complex risks from comprehensive data extraction and dataveillance that accompany journalists and media organizations’ adoption of and innovation in mobile journalism, ideas and methods from the European Union’s Responsible Research and Innovation framework are suggested as a possible approach. This is specified by outlining different implications from the identified risks on individual, organizational, and societal levels, and by making suggestions as to what “responsible innovation” in mobile journalism would encompass in the context of this thesis. This thesis aims to build on existing academic discussions through enriching debates in the mobile journalism field by providing insights into professional journalists’ concrete learning and innovation processes, as well as directing attention toward individual, organizational, and societal risks attached to uncritical adoption of a complex and pervasive computing platform in journalism practice and innovation in the field.Doktorgradsavhandlin

Adopting a mojo mindset: Training newspaper reporters in mobile journalism

Due to the visual turn in journalism and the emergence of mobile journalism, many newspaper journalists have had to change the way they work and learn to use new tools. To face these changes, traditional news organizations apply different strategies to increase staff competencies in using new production tools and creating innovative content in new formats. In this paper, we investigate how a specific training arrangement was experienced by a group of 40 print editors and journalists in a German regional publishing house. The journalists were introduced to audio-visual storytelling and reporting with smartphones in a 2-week training course. The training arrangements were studied using participant observation and in-depth interviews, followed by a thematic analysis of the data. The study indicates that for print journalists and editors, the transition from the print to the mojo mindset depends on three dimensions: (i) mastering mojo skills, (ii) adopting visual thinking and (iii) integrating ethical and legal awareness.publishedVersio

Characterization of polydactyly chondrocytes and their use in cartilage engineering

Treating cartilage injuries and degenerations represents an open surgical challenge. The recent advances in cell therapies have raised the need for a potent off-the-shelf cell source. Intra-articular injections of TGF-beta transduced polydactyly chondrocytes have been proposed as a chronic osteoarthritis treatment but despite promising results, the use of gene therapy still raises safety concerns. In this study, we characterized infant, polydactyly chondrocytes during in vitro expansion and chondrogenic redifferentiation. Polydactyly chondrocytes have a steady proliferative rate and re-differentiate in 3D pellet culture after up to five passages. Additionally, we demonstrated that polydactyly chondrocytes produce cartilage-like matrix in a hyaluronan-based hydrogel, namely transglutaminase cross-linked hyaluronic acid (HA-TG). We utilized the versatility of TG cross-linking to augment the hydrogels with heparin moieties. The heparin chains allowed us to load the scaffolds with TGF-beta 1 which induced cartilage-like matrix deposition both in vitro and in vivo in a subcutaneous mouse model. This strategy introduces the possibility to use infant, polydactyly chondrocytes for the clinical treatment of joint diseases.Peer reviewe

Responsible innovation in mobile journalism : Exploring professional journalists` learning and innovation processes

Denne avhandlingen handler om innovasjon i mobiljournalistikk, og utforsker hvordan profesjonelle TV- og avisjournalister bruker smarttelefoner som journalistisk produksjonsverktøy. I tillegg reflekteres kritisk over utfordringer som kan knyttes til at journalister satser i sitt arbeid på datateknologi som ikke bare integrerer flere risikoteknologier men bygger på infrastrukturer som er optimalisert for omfattende dataekstraksjon og kommersielle overvåkingspraksiser. Det overordnete spørsmålet som søkes besvart i avhandlingen er: Hva er ansvarlig innovasjon i mobiljournalistikk? For å finne svar på forskningsspørsmålet kombineres empiriske tilnærminger og analytisk-teoretiske perspektiver. Innovasjon forstås her som en kompleks sosiokulturell læringsprosess der ´ansvarlig innovasjon´ pekes ut som en normativ meta-kategori. I den empiriske delen i avhandlingen undersøkes profesjonelle journalisters konkrete lærings- og innovasjonsprosesser. Basert på etnografi-inspirerte metoder som deltakende observasjon, dybdeintervjuer og uformelle samtaler belyser den empiriske delen av avhandlingen innovasjon i mobiljournalistikk gjennom to ulike casestudier. I den første casen utforskes et globalt pioner-nettverk som fremstår som en viktig kollektiv aktør i innovativ mobiljournalistikk. I den andre casen undersøkes et konkret trainingsarrangement for profesjonelle avisjournalister som ledd i en omfattende innovasjonsprosess i en tradisjonell medieorganisasjon. Den analytisk-teoretiske delen av avhandlingen tar for seg meta-konseptet `ansvarlig innovasjon´ og belyser kritisk den politiske økonomien knyttet til lærings- og kunnskapsutvikling. Ved hjelp av Zuboffs (2019) teori om overvåkningskapitalisme fokuserer denne delen av avhandlingen på større og mer langsiktige samfunnskonsekvenser knyttet til bruk av mobilteknologi i journalistikk. Ved å peke på ulike risikoer ved uregulerte former for datainnsamling og utfordringer knyttet til privatisering av kunnskap og kunnskapsproduksjon omhandler den teoretisk-analytiske delen hva som står på spill for journalister, medieorganisasjoner og samfunnet i sin helhet når mobilteknologi blir tatt ukritisk i bruk. Det konkluderes med at en uansvarlig og risikofylt bruk av mobilteknologi og relaterte infrastrukturer ikke tegner et bilde av mobiljournalistikk som en demokratiserende kraft (og tidsriktig produksjonsmåte) men heller en praksis som kan bidra til å undergrave demokratiets fundamenter gjennom omfattende dataekstraksjon og kommersielt motiverte overvåkningspraksiser. For å møte komplekse risikoer ved bruk av teknologisk innovasjon i mobiljournalistikk og å kunne finne konstruktive løsninger diskuteres det nye europeiske forsknings- og innovasjonsrammeverket Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) som sikter mot grunnleggende endringer i nåværende innovasjons- og forskningspraksis. Med utgangspunkt i idéer og metoder fra RRI foreslås ulike handlingsopsjoner på individ-, organisasjonps- og samfunnsnivå samt anbefalinger hva `ansvarlig innovasjon i mobiljournalistikk` innebærer. Et overordnet mål med avhandlingen er å bidra i, og berike, den akademiske og offentlige debatten ved å gi konkrete innblikk i profesjonelle journalisters læringssituasjoner og innovasjonsprosesser og gjennom den rette oppmerksomheten mot fundamentale utfordringer ved bruk av kompleks datateknologi og infrastrukturer i samfunnet

Mobile Journalists as Traceable Data Objects: Surveillance Capitalism and Responsible Innovation in Mobile Journalism

This article discusses how Shosana Zuboff’s critical theory of surveillance capitalism may help to understand and underpin responsible practice and innovation in mobile journalism. Zuboff conceptualizes surveillance capitalism as a new economic logic made possible by ICT and its architecture for extracting and trading data products of user behavior and preferences. Surveillance is, through these new technologies, built into the fabric of our economic system and, according to Zuboff, appears as deeply anti-democratic and a threat to human sovereignty, dignity, and autonomy. In Europe, the framework of responsible research and innovation is promoted as an approach and a meta-concept that should inform practice and policy for research and innovation to align with societal values and democratic principles. Within this approach, ICT is framed as a risk technology. As innovation in mobile journalism is inextricably tied to the technologies and infrastructure of smartphones and social media platforms, the apparent question would be how we can envision responsible innovation in this area. Zuboff provides a critical perspective to study how this architecture of surveillance impedes the practice of mobile journalism. While the wide adoption of smartphones as a key tool for both producing and consuming news has great potential for innovation, it can also feed behavioral data into the supply chain of surveillance capitalism. We discuss how potentially harmful implications can be met on an individual and organizational level to contribute to a more responsible adoption of mobile technologies in journalism

Mobile Journalists as Tracable Data Objects: Surveillance Capitalism and Responsible Innovation in Mobile Journalism

This article discusses how Shosana Zuboff’s critical theory of surveillance capitalism may help to understand and underpin responsible practice and innovation in mobile journalism. Zuboff conceptualizes surveillance capitalism as a new economic logic made possible by ICT and its architecture for extracting and trading data products of user behavior and preferences. Surveillance is, through these new technologies, built into the fabric of our economic system and, according to Zuboff, appears as deeply anti-democratic and a threat to human sovereignty, dignity, and autonomy. In Europe, the framework of responsible research and innovation is promoted as an approach and a meta-concept that should inform practice and policy for research and innovation to align with societal values and democratic principles. Within this approach, ICT is framed as a risk technology. As innovation in mobile journalism is inextricably tied to the technologies and infrastructure of smartphones and social media platforms, the apparent question would be how we can envision responsible innovation in this area. Zuboff provides a critical perspective to study how this architecture of surveillance impedes the practice of mobile journalism. While the wide adoption of smartphones as a key tool for both producing and consuming news has great potential for innovation, it can also feed behavioral data into the supply chain of surveillance capitalism. We discuss how potentially harmful implications can be met on an individual and organizational level to contribute to a more responsible adoption of mobile technologies in journalism

“We in the Mojo Community” – Exploring a Global Network of Mobile Journalists

Mobile journalism is a fast-growing area of journalistic innovation that requires new skills and work practices. Thus, a major challenge for journalists is learning not only how to keep up with new gadgets but how to advance and develop a mojo mindset to pursue their interests and solidify future work options. This paper investigates a globally pioneering network of mojo journalism, the Mojo Community, that consists of journalists and practitioners dedicated to creating multimedia content using mobile technologies. The study is based on empirical data from interviews with and the observation of the participants of the community over a two-year period. The analysis draws on Wenger’s concept of “communities of practice” to explore the domain, structure, and role of this communal formation for innovation and change in journalistic practices. The community’s core group is comprised of journalists mainly affiliated with legacy broadcast organizations and with a particular interest in and extensive knowledge of mobile technologies. The participants perceive their engagement with the community as a way of meeting the challenges of organizational reluctance to change, fast-evolving technological advancements, and uncertain job prospects

Adopting a mojo mindset: Training newspaper reporters in mobile journalism

Due to the visual turn in journalism and the emergence of mobile journalism, many newspaper journalists have had to change the way they work and learn to use new tools. To face these changes, traditional news organizations apply different strategies to increase staff competencies in using new production tools and creating innovative content in new formats. In this paper, we investigate how a specific training arrangement was experienced by a group of 40 print editors and journalists in a German regional publishing house. The journalists were introduced to audio-visual storytelling and reporting with smartphones in a 2-week training course. The training arrangements were studied using participant observation and in-depth interviews, followed by a thematic analysis of the data. The study indicates that for print journalists and editors, the transition from the print to the mojo mindset depends on three dimensions: (i) mastering mojo skills, (ii) adopting visual thinking and (iii) integrating ethical and legal awareness

The Quality of Practice Guidelines for Melanoma: A Methodologic Appraisal with the AGREE II and AGREE-REX Instruments

Multiple guidelines on cutaneous melanoma (CM) are available from several consortia and countries. To provide up-to-date guidance in the rapidly changing field of melanoma treatment, guideline developers have to provide regular updates without compromises of quality. We performed a systematic search in guideline databases, Medline and Embase to identify guidelines on CM. The methodological quality of the identified guidelines was independently assessed by five reviewers using the instruments “Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation” (AGREE II) and “Recommendation EXcellence” (AGREE-REX). We performed descriptive analysis, explored subgroup differences using the Kruskal–Wallis (H) test and examined the relationship between distinct domains and items of the instruments with Spearman’s correlation. Six guidelines by consortia from Australia, France, Germany, Scotland, Spain and the United States of America were included. The German guideline fulfilled 71%–98% of criteria in AGREE II and 78%–96% for AGREE-REX, obtaining the highest scores. Deficiencies in the domains of “applicability” and “values and preferences” were observed in all guidelines. The German and Spanish guidelines significantly differed from each other in most of the domains. The domains “applicability” and “values and preferences” were identified as methodological weaknesses requiring careful revision and improvement in the future