ABSTRACT
The United Kingdom is characterized by both a pluralist and, at the same time, polarized media system, with a strong public service media, a broad range of commercial broadcasters, and a lively opinionated press. However, the British media system is undergoing significant transformation processes in particular regarding the economic situation of news organizations. Major drivers of these shifts are not only the newly emerged news ecosystem based on the centrality of digital intermediaries such as social media platforms, a shifting news consumption, and an increasing number of infodemically vulnerable users. These shifts are also due to events such as the economic crisis, Brexit, the pandemic, and the Ukraine war and related inflation. In this context, innovation becomes crucial, and studies such as the Cairncross report suggest that the government should launch a specific new innovation fund for public interest journalism. Following the recommendations of the report, the government implemented a publicly funded Future News Pilot Fund to finance innovative journalism projects, even if limited to a one-off project. Today, innovation is mainly implemented through forms of datafication, relying, for instance, on user metrics or the use of artificial intelligence.
