Transforming newsroom membership program with service design: a case study from Ukraine during wartime

Abstract

As traditional revenue models in journalism continue to decline, media organizations are increasingly seeking innovative strategies to ensure sustainability in a digital-first environment. This thesis examines how service design principles can be applied to transform newsroom membership programs, with a focus on The Village Ukraine during the Russian invasion.

Through a mixed-methods approach, including semi-structured interviews, an expert interview, questionnaires, and data analysis, the research investigates the effects of service design interventions on member engagement, user experience, and revenue generation under challenging conditions.

A cross-case analysis with South Africa’s Daily Maverick, informed by an expert interview, underscores the importance of data-driven strategies and continuous experimentation in the development of effective membership models. The findings reveal that service design provides a valuable framework for co-creating value propositions, enhancing member satisfaction, and building resilient monetization strategies, particularly in resource-constrained settings.

The study highlights how data-driven decision-making and a commitment to iterative improvement can foster stronger audience relationships and long-term sustainability. This research illustrates how service design’s human-centered, iterative approach enables media organizations to adapt to shifting audience expectations, ensuring that user needs are prioritized in strategic planning and decision-making processes.