INNOVATING FROM THE CLASSROOM

Today's society, known as digital, technological and information society, is generating new forms of access to information and communication thanks to the revolution in the use of the Internet. With this in mind, four Social Communication Professors and 105 students of the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Ecuador, utilizing the principles of Journalistic Genres, Print Media, Television and Digital Journalism, proposed to conduct a reengineering of the Web pages of the local media (Loja).

The project began with the analysis of the architecture, navigability and contents of the websites. Then the authors proceeded to make a proposal for re-engineering the sites, maintaining the name and corporate identity. Regarding the content, new sections were recommended, with relevant information that addresses journalism trends. By using the Transmedia Narrative Concept, which is a story told through multiple media and platforms, where each story is independent, but it has a point of connection, each story contributes with new contents and information that enriches the general theme.

Traditional media are going through an important historical moment, where adapting to technological development is key to their survival. Scolari (2009) states that for more than three decades the printed newspaper has entered a process of decline and that the "new technologies" have only accelerated it.

Finally, the students generated a proposal for new content and narrative and launched the website. The contents were published on free platforms such as Wix, Xprs, and so on. A pre-selection of the websites were given to the media and local authorities as examples of academic-technological innovation.