Tech Stack

Takeaways

Start by figuring out what you want to do

One of the key steps in developing a successful technology strategy for your newsroom is to define your goals and vision. What kind of content do you want to produce, distribute and highlight? Who are your target audiences and how do you want to reach them? How do you measure your impact and sustainability?

Depending on your answers to these questions, you may need different types of technology solutions to support your work. For example, if you are mainly focused on creating and sending newsletters, you may want to consider a platform like Ghost, which offers a simple and elegant way to design, publish and monetize newsletters. However, if you are more interested in producing video content, Ghost may not be the best option for you. You may need a platform that allows you to upload, edit and stream videos, as well as embed them on your website or social media channels.

Therefore, before you invest in any technology solution, you should do some research and analysis of your needs and options. If you can, you should also consult with other publishers who have similar goals and challenges as you, and learn from their experiences and best practices.

Your solution may not be perfect or permanent

One of the main goals of this report was to provide some guidance on the best technology solutions for Black publishers, based on the survey results and interviews we conducted with Black owned newsrooms. However, we quickly realized that there was no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as different publishers had different needs, preferences, and challenges. Therefore, we recommend that you use this report as a starting point, rather than a definitive answer, and explore the various options available to you.

We understand that finding and implementing the right technology solutions can be daunting, especially when you have limited funding and resources. That’s why we suggest that you start small and scale up as you grow and need more functionality. You don’t have to invest in expensive or complex tools right away; you can start with something that you are familiar with and that meets your basic needs, and then expand as you learn more about what you want and what works for you.

Technology choices are personal and impacted by personnel

One of the key takeaways from our research project is that technology choices are personal and impacted by personnel. This means that Black publishers need to consider not only their budget, but also their team’s skills and preferences when choosing the best technology solutions for their newsrooms. 

For example, if you don’t have someone on the team who is interested in or has the time to code, you may want to opt for a simple platform like Patch Labs that requires little to no coding. On the other hand, if you have someone who is proficient in coding or willing to learn, you might want to explore more customizable platforms like WordPress. 

Another factor to consider is your attitude towards change and innovation. Do you like to keep up with the latest trends and update your technology every few years, or do you prefer something that you can stick with for a long period of time? Your answer will impact whether you choose a platform that is more flexible and adaptable, or one that is more stable and reliable. 

Finally, sometimes you don’t need new technology, you just need someone with experience who can maximize your existing products to meet your needs. This is where hiring a consultant or a trainer can be helpful, as they can help you optimize your workflow and leverage your current tools more effectively.

The tech stack extends far beyond these categories

The technology solutions that Black publishers are using to produce and distribute quality content are diverse and evolving. In this report, we have explored some of the core tools and platforms that our respondents recommended or used in their own work. However, the tech stack extends far beyond these categories.

Some of the tools that our respondents mentioned include:

• Canva, a graphic design platform that allows you to create and edit images, logos, flyers, posters, and more.
• Descript, a transcription and captioning service that uses artificial intelligence to convert audio and video files into text.
• Riverside, a podcast recording and video conferencing platform that enables high-quality audio and video production.
• Adobe Suite, a collection of software applications for creative professionals, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, and InDesign.

These tools can help you enhance your visual storytelling, reach new audiences, and streamline your workflow. However, they are not the only ones available, and you may find other alternatives that suit your budget, preferences, and goals better.

Another aspect of the tech stack that our respondents spoke to was the internal work management systems. These include tools like:

• Notion, an all-in-one workspace that allows you to create notes, documents, databases, calendars, and more.
• Monday.com, a cloud-based work management platform that helps businesses automate their workflows and manage their projects, tasks and resources in one place.
• Intranets built on Google Pages, a way to create internal websites that can store and share information such as contacts, press office websites and numbers, policies, procedures, and more.

These tools can help you maintain your information systems, organize your projects, collaborate with your team members, and onboard new employees more easily. They can also help you improve your security and privacy by keeping your data within your own network.

However, technology solutions are not only about software. You also need the hardware to be able to do your work efficiently. Journalists maintain a lot of files on their computer and often have a lot of tabs open. This can slow down your performance and affect your productivity. Therefore, it is important to invest in high-quality hardware that can support your workflow and experience. Some of the hardware components that you may want to consider are:

• RAM (Random Access Memory): This is the memory that your computer uses to run multiple programs at once. The more RAM you have, the faster your computer can switch between tasks and handle large files.
• SSD (Solid State Drive): This is the storage device that your computer uses to save your files. Unlike HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD has no moving parts and can access data faster. This means that your computer can boot up quicker, load programs faster, and transfer files more easily.
• CPU (Central Processing Unit): This is the brain of your computer that processes all the instructions and calculations. The faster your CPU is, the better your computer can handle complex tasks and multitasking.
• GPU (Graphics Processing Unit): This is the component that handles the graphics and images on your computer. The more powerful your GPU is, the better your computer can display high-resolution videos, animations, games, and other visual content.

These are some of the hardware components that can make a difference in your work performance. However, they are not the only ones, and you may also want to look into other factors such as battery life, screen size, keyboard quality, ports availability, and more.

Finally, there are also other tech products that you may need to have in order to run a successful media business. These include items like internal communication tools (e.g., Slack), domain hosting services (e.g., Google Domains), accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks), HR platforms (e.g., BambooHR), and more. These products can help you manage various aspects of your operations such as communication, finance, administration, legal compliance, etc. However, they were outside of the scope of this study.

Be future focused and choose tools you can grow with

One of the main takeaways from our research project is that Black publishers need to adopt technology solutions that can help them grow and innovate in the digital media landscape. Technology is not a one-time investment, but a continuous process of learning and adapting to the changing needs and preferences of the audience. Therefore, publishers should look for technology partners that can offer them reliable, scalable and flexible solutions that can support their long-term vision and goals.

When evaluating different technology options, publishers should consider two important factors: the size and diversity of the user base, and the frequency and quality of new features. The user base reflects how popular and trusted the technology is among other publishers, and how well it can cater to different markets and niches. The new features indicate how responsive and proactive the technology is in keeping up with the latest trends and innovations in the media industry, such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, social media integration, etc.

We saw that WordPress and Newspack were popular content management systems, ActiveCampaign was a popular email service provider and customer relationship manager, and that Google Analytics, Google AdSense and Google Ad Manager were popular choices in their respective categories. 

In the case of Google Analytics, it’s ubiquity has led to them upgrading their system to Google Analytics 4, and has also led them to develop News Consumer Insights, a tool that helps publishers understand their audiences better. It analyzes data from various sources and provides insights on how to optimize content, monetization, and engagement strategies. News Consumer Insights helps publishers create more relevant and valuable experiences for their readers.

Publishers should avoid technology solutions that are outdated, stagnant or incompatible with their needs. Instead, they should seek technology solutions that are future-focused, dynamic and adaptable. These solutions will enable them to create engaging and relevant content for their audience, while also enhancing their efficiency and profitability. By choosing technology solutions that they can grow with, Black publishers can position themselves as leaders and innovators in the digital media space and minimize technological disruptions.

Don’t forget about integrations

One of the key aspects of choosing the right technology solutions for your newsroom is to consider how well they integrate with each other. Integration means that the tools can communicate and share data automatically, without requiring manual input or duplication of work. Integration can save you time, money and hassle, as well as improve your workflow and analytics.

Some tools are designed to integrate with many different platforms out of the box, such as WordPress. These tools can make it easy for you to integrate applications and plug-ins for a variety of needs seamlessly. This option offers a range of features and options to customize your site and content according to your needs and preferences.

Other tools, such as Patch Labs, Squarespace or Newspack, are all-in-one solutions, because they provide most, if not all, of the tech stack components you need to run your online newsroom in one place. They can simplify your technology stack and reduce the number of subscriptions or fees you have to pay. 

However, not all tools integrate with each other naturally or automatically. Sometimes you may need to use a third-party app, such as Zapier, to connect two programs that don’t have a native integration. Zapier can help you create workflows and triggers that automate tasks and data transfers between different tools. For example, you can use Zapier to send new subscribers from your website to your email service provider, or to post new articles from your website to your social media accounts.

Finally, some tools may not have any integration options at all, or they may have very limited ones. In that case, you may have to manually import or export data between different platforms, which can be time-consuming and error-prone. For example, you may have to download your email list from your email service provider and upload it to your customer relationship management system, or vice versa. This can also affect the accuracy and timeliness of your data and analytics.

It is important to map out the ways you need data to flow between the different tools you use for your digital publishing. You should identify which tools have native or built-in integrations, which ones require third-party apps like Zapier, and which ones need manual intervention. You should also consider the frequency and volume of data transfers, as well as the security and privacy of your data. By having a clear plan in advance, you can avoid potential problems and optimize your technology solutions for your Black-owned newsroom.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this report has provided an overview of some of the technology solutions that Black publishers are using or recommending for their work. The goal was to coalesce collective wisdom from other publishers’ experience in the sector to help you make more informed technology decisions. However, this is not an exhaustive list nor a definitive guide. Each publisher has their own needs, challenges, and opportunities when it comes to technology solutions. Therefore, we encourage you to do further research, compare different options, and experiment with different tools to find the best solutions for you.

We hope that this report has given you some insights and inspiration on how to leverage technology to enhance your publishing operations and reach your audience. We encourage you to experiment with different solutions and find what suits your unique situation best. Remember, you may not have a perfect or permanent solution, but you can always improve and adapt as you go along.