Creative Destruction: An Exploratory Study of How Digitally Native News Nonprofits Are Innovating Online Journalism Practices

Abstract

As traditional news media struggle to adapt their practices to discontinuous changes resulting from technological advances, a digitally native nonprofit news model has emerged in the United States. Framed by management theories of creative destruction and disruptive innovation, this study explores how the journalists who lead these small firms view digital and social media as opportunities to revitalize public service reporting, re-create journalism practices online, and encourage consumer participation in the news-gathering process. Findings show online news entrepreneurs are strategically using their digital-first platform to focus primarily on their public service mission, engage consumers, publish information through a variety of methods and formats, collaborate with outside media, diversify revenue sources, and provide technology training to journalists and the public.