MDIF Knowledge Bridge

A lot of companies sigh wearily when they talk about their content-management systems, the software that they use to manage their websites. If you’re looking for a CMS for the first time or looking to upgrade from the one you use, start by asking yourself what you need. With all the changes in the media, it sometimes feels like war, and you might believe you need an aircraft carrier. Resist the urge. What you probably need is a fast and nimble speedboat.

May 22, 2013

If you have struggled with your content-management system, don’t worry you’re not alone. CMSs have been a common source of frustration for journalists and editors for years. Here we look at some of the lessons news organisations have learned. The industry is building up experience and solutions to some of the common problems publishers and broadcasters face as they put their content online.

May 22, 2013

You already have software and systems to publish your newspaper or to manage your radio or TV output, and you might be wondering why you need yet more software to publish online and to mobile phones. Put simply, a good CMS will help you efficiently publish your content digitally and manage your digital advertising.

May 22, 2013

Even though most Latin American newspapers and magazines still enjoy rising circulation and advertising revenue, many are rolling out paid content strategies. But the diverse market conditions across the region mean that there is no one-size-fits-all model. Instead, news groups must increase their use of audience data and analyse their own market to develop strategies appropriate to their stage of the digital transition.

April 29, 2013

Two very different types of digital attack have targeted the Android smartphones of Tibetan and Uyghur activists. The attacks highlight the new and very real security threats that smartphones can pose for journalists and their sources. We look at ways you can keep you and your sources safe.

May 29, 2013

WordPress has grown from its origins as a blogging platform into a powerful content management system, and now many news organisations including Reuters, the New York Times, CNN and Forbes use it to power parts of their sites. One of the benefits of using WordPress is that it can be adapted and extended using plug-ins, but there are hundreds to choose from, so which are the best? We look at five of the most useful for news organisations.

May 24, 2013

Twitter has a number of advanced search options that will help journalists find updates and photos to help them illustrate their stories. It can help them zero in on updates with photos, as well as finding updates by location so they can find people tweeting near a news event.

April 18, 2013

Camera phones and social networks have created an almost unimaginable amount of user-generated content, and in our second in a series looking at how to take advantage of user-generated content, we look at techniques to verify photographs on photo-sharing sites Flickr and Google’s Picasa.

April 5, 2013