ABS254 - Strategic encounters between citizens and professionals in television productions based on co-creation

Industrial reflexivity and splintered production processes have been connected to degeneration in mass production-based television (TV) work (Caldwell, 2008). On the other hand, distributed cognition and retrospective sense making are also celebrated as promising innovation strategies for media management and production (Küng, 2008). This study investigates how the possibilities of distributed cognition have been realised and utilised through co-creation with the audience. There are convincing reasons for a new research focus when searching for journalistic innovations in audiovisual media in the process of transition. In the latest generation working life under the co-creation theme, products and services are produced through constant interactions among the user, the producer and the product (Boynton, 1998). Furthermore, in the light of the new innovation thinking, utilising diversity in encounters is an essential approach for obtaining alternative viewpoints, leading to innovative results (von Hippel, 2005). Thus, the crucial research questions ask about the quality of interactions among the participants of the co-creative audiovisual production process and whether there is a place for response and reflection in the participants’ encounters (Shaw, 2002). The other research focus is on ‘multivoiceness’ – how co-creation was especially encouraged in building the televisualised mode of expression. This paper presents the results of the ongoing case studies, which apply the new research design to pioneering productions for Finnish public service television in 2015 and 2016. In these cases, the research focus is on worker-driven innovations.