This summer, we invited young student talents from F1RST for a co-creation process to tackle challenges with a focus on trust in media. The students collaborated with news media professionals to create prototypes envisioning product features and experiences aimed at enhancing media trust. Learn more in the summary below.
BACKGROUND
In the spring of 2024, Schibsted Media conducted a major interview study on media trust concluding that "trust is the most important asset in the increasingly automated and fragmented information landscape" (Siv Juvik Tveitnes, CEO of Schibsted Media). In response, we at IN/LAB organised a design sprint over the summer, inviting students to explore solutions to the industry’s trust-related challenges. We organised a 7-day design sprint called Summer Sprint in collaboration with F1RST and Schibsted Media’s Swedish news brands Aftonbladet, Omni and Svenska Dagbladet. For the sprint, we invited a group of nine university students currently studying at SSE, SU and KTH who wanted to shape the future of news together with us.
We worked in a co-creation process to develop new product ideas that could solve one of the following news media challenges identified through the trust research:
How might news media create a future news product for younger audiences that contributes to them experiencing the journalistic content as credible?
How might news media create a future news product for younger audiences that contributes to them experiencing the process behind the content as credible?
How might news media create a future news product for younger audiences that contributes to them experiencing the journalistic content as relevant and useful?
WHAT WE DID
The group was split into three teams to develop their ideas and followed a program in six steps, working in half-day sessions:
Industry introduction and staff meet & greet
Introduction to the challenges
Ideating solutions
Concept development
Prototyping
Presenting concepts & prototypes
To kickstart their ideation, the teams attended inspirational presentations by Markus Gustafsson (CEO, Omni), Eric Rosén (Deputy Culture Editor, Aftonbladet), Marcus Rydling (Product Designer, Schibsted Media) and Christoph Schmitz (Product Manager, Schibsted Media). Throughout the week, workshop sessions were held where the teams brainstormed solutions to the identified challenges. These sessions included feedback from coaches across different news brands. The teams then developed interactive digital prototypes, with support from Schibsted Media coaches and IN/LAB facilitators.
THE PROTOTYPES
Summer Sprint led to the creation of three concepts and prototypes that address the identified challenges. Below, you can read more about them.
Veri News
What if you could instantly know the level of certainty of the news you just read? Veri News is a tool that analyses and rates news articles based on key journalistic ethical standards. Its standout feature, the Certainty Report, provides transparent and accessible information about the content, enhancing reader confidence and trust.
Using AI technology supervised by experienced journalists, Veri News determines each article’s credibility rating. Instead of providing a simple grade, it offers a comprehensive report. With the help of an AI-bot, it evaluates parameters such as source type, number of interviews, and verification thoroughness to create the report. This ensures that readers receive a transparent and detailed understanding of the news they consume
2. Schibsted Times What if you could better understand the journalistic process behind certain editorial decisions? Schibsted Times is a function that enables readers to understand and explore journalistic principles through two main components: an editorial explanation page and a quiz scenario game. The editorial explanation page provides the reasoning behind specific editorial decisions, such as the blurring of people's faces. The quiz scenario game allows readers to step into the shoes of an editor, by making their own decisions and understanding the potential ethical and social implications of those decisions. With this function, the readers also get to see how their choices compare to those of other readers.
3. My News
What if you could have a highly personalised news experience tailored to your preferences? My News is a news product that provides three main functions: customisable complexity, user influence on algorithm (algo), and smart notifications.
The customisable complexity function allows users to adjust the level of detail and depth of analysis in their news content. Whether you want a quick overview or an in-depth report, My News adapts to your needs.
Algo is the user's personal AI-bot that helps curate their news feed and content. Users can influence the algorithm to ensure the news they receive is relevant and aligned with their interests.
Lastly, the smart notifications feature presents news updates in a customised format, such as text or audio and at times that are most convenient for the user. This ensures that users stay informed in the most effective and personalised way possible.
FEEDBACK
We received positive feedback from the Summer Sprint participants who found the experience enriching and fun. Some also expressed that it opened their eyes to the news media industry.
“I have learned more about the media industry and its challenges, honed my skills, met new people, and had a lot of fun” (Summer Sprint participant)
The Schibsted team also seemed pleased with the Summer Sprint and their participation in the co-creation project.
“I thought all teams were very focused on their work and I am really impressed with the outcome of the project. Also big kudos for the team responsible for putting it all together, you did a great job!” (Schibsted coach)
TEAM
Agnes Stenbom (Head of IN/LAB)
Belenn Bekele (Program Manager, IN/LAB)
Molly Grönlund Müller (Community Researcher, IN/LAB)
Elin Wieslander (Journalist, Aftonbladet)
Jonas Olofsson (Head of UX, Aftonbladet)
Sofia Boström (Editorial Developer & Art Director, Aftonbladet)
Inanna Lallerstedt (Senior Product Manager, Svenska Dagbladet)
Matilda Glaser (Editor-in-Chief, Omni)
Comments