The news industry faces more challenges than ever today. Budgets are under pressure, and expectations are skyrocketing. That’s why broadcasters are embracing multiple online channels more than ever in order to reach the same audience.
This pressure also finds its way into the editorial teams. Take, for example, a group of journalists: they are still covering news stories the same way they have always done. But now they are also hosting podcasts, posting their stories on social media and reformatting them for website blogs, etc. They must create more formats and serve more channels so their stories can remain relevant.
You see, modern times are very demanding for editorial teams. And those teams aren’t growing… on the contrary. So today, every news company finds itself searching for a solution to one recurring question:
How can we do more with less?
The answer to this rising pressure is workflow improvement.
Here is the logic behind it. Small editorial teams consist of multi-taskers. So yes, that means that non-technical producers should be able to run complex shows. And not just run it, but run it without any loss of quality.
This shift can get chaotic, because today’s studio automation is horrendously complex: it’s code-heavy, slow to set up and very hard to scale. You need coding engineers for this, and coding is usually not on a producer’s tool kit. To complete those technical-heavy tasks, they would need in-depth code training, but the industry cannot teach everyone how to code their way into news studio setups.
You guessed it right: let’s not try to change people, but let’s invest in making said news studio setup easier and accessible for all.
Enter workflow optimization.
So the goal is to empower non-technical producers and editors to run the show. On their own. This requires a smart news workflow:
– A central rundown with real-time sync,
– With cloud-native hosting, so that teams can collaborate from wherever they are,
– Fit for simultaneous multi-user editing,
– A rundown that can connect all the studio hardware and software through an open API,
– Capable of building complex production logic with simple triggers,
– Designed with journalists in mind, with intuitive UI and UX
– keeping all information and media assets in one place
– And facilitating collaboration with AI Agents to support the producers
The list is non-exhaustive, but it captures the essence.
This platform unifies script, production, automation and publishing in the same platform. And it allows for scene-based automation, as you can create a set of IF/THEN parameters that trigger studio presets and combine hardware and software cues to your rundown. That’s how workflow automation can allow non-technical people to run a show autonomously. Or even, to let the anchor run the show themselves.
Modern workflows also have built-in features to increase output exponentially.
They do so by enabling a story-centric approach.
Exponentially scaling output with story-centricity
As one of our customers explained:
“We don’t start from the 6 pm show anymore; the starting point is the story itself — from there we decide whenever and wherever it needs to go live.”
One story has multiple outputs in this digital era, which is why it is crucial we move from rundown-first to a story-first mindset. Yet, because all these digital channels and formats are shared in a single workflow, it enables everyone to collaborate in the same cloud-based platform.
But there are other ways to improve output. How about freeing up some time by accepting a helping hand from AI?
Editors managing a team of multiple AI agents
Automation and AI are necessary. Not just for efficiency, but for some local news stations with tight budgets and limited resources, it’s a matter of survival.
That’s why we see editorial teams become the orchestra conductor of multiple AI tools for research, scheduling, content drafting, social media reformatting, tone checks, compliance, setting meetings, looking for editorial pieces, and such. And yes, AI will also help producers produce a show. These AI agents will soon be able to handle multiple repetitive tasks. This frees up more time for journalists to fact-check, think of even better angles for their story, and just become even better at their core task of delivering the latest news to their audiences. And it’s a big step towards agility.
The takeaway
Don’t fear workflow optimization. Used well, it protects local journalism, improves quality, and frees journalists from technical pain so they can focus on stories and communities.
