Futures Lab Update #150: Internal Innovation Teams; BuzzFeed’s Approach to Photo Management

This story first appeared on RJI’s Futures Lab. Reporting by Katy Mersmann, Reuben Stern, Blair Ussary and Berkeley Lovelace.

This week we find out how dedicated innovation efforts could help news organizations, and we learn how BuzzFeed manages images across platforms.

PART 1: Innovation teams

Having staff members assigned to experiment with emerging technologies helps prevent future disruption, says Stephen Watt, chief architect of emerging technologies at Red Hat. We find out how Gannett and the Wall Street Journal are putting that idea to work by making innovation a regular part of their operations.
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For more information:

For more details about Gannett’s innovation effort, check out this video of a presentation from Kevin Poortinga, vice president of innovation at Gannett. The presentation was part of RJI’s recent Collaboration Culture Symposium.

Gannett’s editorial innovation efforts also have included pioneering work with virtual reality and interactive data, as explained in this profile from Digiday.

The Wall Street Journal’s efforts to innovate have been ongoing for the past few years and have included a push to get everyone to participate, as explained in this article from Journalism.co.uk.

PART 2: Image management at BuzzFeed

Managing photos and images across platforms and from multiple sources has become increasingly complex. Wajmah Yaqubi, global photo director at BuzzFeed, explains how the organization is addressing the challenge.
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Reuben Stern is the deputy director of the Futures Lab at the Reynolds Journalism Institute and host and co-producer of the weekly Futures Lab video update.

The Reynolds Journalism Institute’s Futures Lab video update features a roundup of fresh ideas, techniques and developments to help spark innovation and change in newsrooms across all media platforms. Visit the RJI website for the full archive of Futures Lab videos, or download the receive email notification of each new episode.