How a COVID-19 Live Tracker Led to Innovation in Investigative Journalism

Abstract

The practice of investigative journalism is constantly pushing the boundaries of what journalism can do and should be. While certain core values remain intact, professionals readily experiment with new methods, forms of collaboration and technological solutions. In times of crisis, this inherent innovative power can be further accelerated and amplified. In this chapter, we explore the intersection of crisis, innovation and journalistic boundaries, as progress in this field inevitably produces questions and negotiations concerning both boundaries and definitions. Research on the ways in which journalists adapt or innovate during (and due to) crises is scarce, but the COVID-19 pandemic offered a unique opportunity to fill this gap. In the midst of the pandemic, a team of Norwegian researchers managed to gain access to the ongoing implementation of an infection-related data tracker at the most-read online newspaper in Norway. Team members were able to explore how this new tool impacted journalistic autonomy, cross-disciplinary work, and the relationship between staff and management (Konow-Lund et al., 2022).