ABSTRACT
This chapter compares the pre-conditions for the development of journalistic innovations in the five countries studied: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. In Spain, which was hit earlier and harder by economic crises, “creative destruction” occurred faster with the development of innovation projects in legacy media and the founding of hundreds of journalism start-ups. In the United Kingdom, we also see innovation approaches in response to an economic crisis and Brexit. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland had a long, stable traditional media system with less pressure to innovate despite digital disruption and globalization of media markets. Among these three comparable media systems, specific national concepts for digitization, transformation, and public press funding can also be discerned. In recent years, the important role of national media policies as potential preservers of the media system or accelerators of innovation in journalism has become clear in all the countries surveyed. Yet, they are still rather cautious in their search for targeted funding instruments for innovation in journalism.
