The Entanglements between Data Journalism, Collaboration and Business Models: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Despite it being somewhat of a niche project back in 2009, at this stage of its evolution, data journalism has gained significant traction to grow into a maturing field. However, little is known about the intersection of data journalism and collaboration in the news organizations’ business models from an infrastructure perspective, that is, key activities, key resources, and partner networks. These elements play an important role in the business model as they outline how an organization can optimize the efficiency within the business to provide the public with the best value proposition, in this case, data storytelling. Therefore, through a systematic literature review, this study aims to identify research trends and gaps in the field, conceptualize current paradigmatic views and therein provide clear propositions to guide future research in the entanglements of data journalism, collaboration, and business models. The originality of this study is rooted in the comprehensive search and systematic review of studies in the discourse around data and collaborative journalisms as part of the news organizations’ business models, which have not been unified to date, although both practices became popularized with the digitization of news organizations.