Surfing the waves of crises – Spain's framework conditions for innovations in journalism

Abstract

Over the past decade, journalism in Spain has shown a high degree of innovation among digital and legacy media, although the extent of its adoption varies across several industry levels. This is partly a reflection of Spain’s unique media system, which is shaped by a relatively young democracy striving to converge economically and industrially with Europe and is marked by regions with deep cultural and economic differences. The last two global financial crises have severely impacted the media industry, thereby affecting how innovation is managed in Spain’s media segment. Despite the structural weakness of its media system and the lack of institutional support for the development of media literacy, innovation in journalism has emerged as a survival tool to foster the emergence of new profiles, practices, and strategies among digital outlets.