As we worked on this year’s Best Practice in Innovation report, it became clear that high-impact innovation continues to come from a wide range of markets, organisational sizes, and strategic priorities.
The 12 cases featured in the report are drawn from the Digital Media Awards Worldwide, WAN-IFRA’s competition that recognises outstanding digital journalism, product development, and business innovation each year.
The cases featured here reflect how publishers are rethinking products, storytelling, audience engagement, and the use of emerging technologies to meet changing reader needs and build sustainable digital businesses.
Spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, the cases demonstrate that innovation is most effective when it is grounded in editorial purpose and embedded into everyday workflows.
This report is available free for WAN-IFRA Members; click here for details.
The 12 cases
Reuters, United Kingdom
Best Data Visualisation
Reuters Graphics reconstructed the deadly 2024 Valencia high-rise fire using 3D modelling, simulations and investigative reporting, revealing how combustible façades fuelled the disaster and exposing gaps in fire safety policy.
United Daily News, Taiwan
Best Use of AI in Revenue Strategy
United Daily News embedded AI across advertising, content curation and recommendations, delivering major gains in click-through rates, engagement and subscription conversions while shifting to an audience-led model.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany
Best News Website
FAZ rebuilt FAZ.NET into a faster, personalised digital platform, combining server-side personalisation, editorial curation and dynamic paywalls to improve engagement and drive subscription growth.
Daily Maverick, South Africa
Best Innovative Digital Product
Daily Maverick’s Manifesto MAYHEM! transformed complex election manifestos into accessible, shareable cards, reimagining civic education through design, gamification and WhatsApp-first distribution.
The Hindu, India
Best Digital Advertising Product
The Hindu’s Made of Chennai campaign combined digital storytelling, print and large-scale on-ground events to celebrate the city’s identity, building deep community engagement and brand affinity.
La Nación, Argentina
Best Use of AI in the Newsroom
La Nación built a custom AI pipeline to analyse President Javier Milei’s speeches, blending machine analysis with rigorous editorial oversight to uncover patterns in political rhetoric.
Chequeado, Argentina
Best Fact-Checking Project
Chequeado’s long-running Promesas Chequeadas tracked presidential promises through a transparent, evidence-based methodology, strengthening accountability and public trust in a polarised environment.
Verdens Gang, Norway
Best Use of Video
Verdens Gang reinvented live election coverage with a vertical, mobile-first video format, turning real-time reporting into an interactive, social-first experience optimised for younger audiences.
The Telegraph, United Kingdom
Best Newsletter
The Telegraph’s six-week personal finance newsletter combined expert guidance with a human, conversational tone, building reader habit, trust and stronger subscription loyalty.
South China Morning Post, Hong Kong
Best Digital Subscription
SCMP Plus launched as a premium intelligence product for global China watchers, offering curated analysis, data tools and exclusive access to drive upgrades and long-term engagement.
Grupo El Comercio, Peru
Best in Audience Engagement
El Comercio’s Premios Somos campaign turned Peru’s passion for gastronomy into participation, converting casual readers into registered, engaged users through interactive voting and multiplatform storytelling.
Prisa Media, Chile
Best Use of Audio
Podium Podcast Chile’s I Need to Breathe used rare archival recordings and immersive sound design to create a landmark biographical audio series with strong cultural impact.