The Futures Lab

To move journalism forward, researchers, students and other innovators need a place to brainstorm and experiment. They need a place that offers both the freedom to think big and the resources to turn their big ideas into practical products and processes.

RJI’s Futures Lab is the place — a real-world testing venue for new journalism and advertising methods and technologies. The lab provides an environment where students, faculty and visitors prototype journalism innovations for delivery to media audiences. The most promising prototypes will be used in the Missouri School of Journalism’s real-world print, broadcast and online media, where practicing journalists can help determine what works and what doesn’t and offer tips for fine-tuning.

The Futures Lab will routinely open its activities and experiments to visits from media professionals and citizens. It will make findings available to both technology and media organizations as a service to industry and the public.