The comparative study focuses on innovation
and social media strategies in newspaper companies in the US and three
Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway and Denmark). Many previous studies have
focused on the state of journalism and media industry in single countries,
notably the US, although media have distinct features in different countries
(Siles and Boczkowski, 2012). Through the comparative setting, it is possible
to examine the differences in media innovation processes and to study what
factors can be found that affect innovation in media production, business
models, sources of funding and social media strategies. The study provides
methodological contribution in joining market data with qualitative interviews.
The Scandinavian data set was collected in 2016, and the US data set in 2017.
The qualitative part of the study consists of semi-structured in-depth
interviews (N=65) with media managers. The quantitative data covers years 2005
to 2016; this timespan corresponds well with the accelerating digital
transition in the newspaper business. According to the study, signs of radical
innovation are rare in both Nordic and US newspapers. New business models are
mostly new combinations of existing revenue streams, while adaptation of new
technology is slow, with few exceptions. When it comes to innovation
Scandinavian newspaper companies are not far behind US media in general.