Articles
Written by J-Lab’s Jan Schaffer for publication
J-Lab’s Jan Schaffer Reflects Back on 20 Years of Journalism Innovation
Oct. 31, 2014 MediaShiftAfter two decades of work at the forefront of journalism innovations, interactive journalism and news startups, J-Lab executive director Jan Schaffer weighs in with some observations and lessons learned. This post addresses journalism innovations.
10 Takeaways from Teaching Entrepreneurship
Jan. 30, 2014 MediaShiftSo far, two cohort groups, some 21 people, have gone through my Seminar in Media Entrepreneurship for mid-career professionals. It is the first seminar that each cohort group takes as they embark on the 20-month, 10-course journey to a MA in Media Entrepreneurship at American University.
Lost in the gloom, an entrepreneurial boom
Dec. 17, 2013 Nieman LabJan Schaffer writes in Nieman Lab’s 2014 predictions for journalism series: “Let’s stop the handwringing about losses in legacy journalism and work on creating and growing the next acts in media.”
Revisiting 10 of the Many Things I’ve Learned Since Abscam
Dec. 13, 2013 Survival Guide For Women EditorsWith the release of the “American Hustle” movie about Abscam, I’ve been moved to remind myself of some takeways of my involvement in that FBI sting operation. Full disclosure: This originally appeared in the American Press Institute’s “Survival Guide For Women Editors.”
In New Orleans, public radio, local startups, and more are teaming up for the news
Jul. 11, 2013 Nieman LabIn New Orleans’ topsy-turvy world of journalism — where alliances shift, talent is raided, and a newspaper war is blossoming — WWNO public radio has, for the past year, steered a determined course. Informed by research and bolstered by a sense of opportunity, it is erecting, piece by piece, the ...
Public Media Join Non-Profit Startups to Collaborate, Fill Local News Gap
Jul. 11, 2013 MediaShiftPublic broadcasters have always done partnerships, but in the last year these and other public-media outlets have begun piecing together the infrastructure for local-news reports that will offer more than cutaways in “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.” As a result, they are airing more investigative and enterprise journalism than ...
In New Jersey, a university teams up with local news organizations to collaborate for impact
Jul. 10, 2013 Nieman LabMontclair State’s Center for Cooperative Media is betting there are returns on getting newspapers, broadcasters, bloggers, and wire services all in the same building. The germ of the idea came at a 2011 meeting in Newark.
In St. Louis, two news organizations are navigating the tricky path to a merger
Jul. 9, 2013 Nieman LabIf all goes as hoped, in coming months St. Louis Public Radio (SLPR) and the St. Louis Beacon will formally merge their two newsrooms. It will be the first time a public radio station with a staff of journalists has combined its operations with another daily-news producing outlet.