Editorial efficiency at its finest: WordPress for editors

UK based enterprise WordPress agency, Big Bite, highlight why WordPress is the go to CMS for the world’s largest publishers.

Acting as the leading technology partner for global news brands including The Times, New York Post and NRC, Big Bite understands that behind every news story, is a team of editors making it all happen. Faced with the increasing pressures of modern day journalism, where as-it-happens news is the base expectation, editorial teams can’t afford to workaround dated CMS platforms that slow them down.

Additionally, publishers managing large-scale, often global, content operations aren’t exceptions, they’re the norm. Yet many publishing platforms and tools have not evolved at the same pace, with back-end tools not receiving the same development resources than website fascias, leaving editors, journalists, and support staff dealing with cumbersome workflows that slow down production and compromise quality.

Do maximise efficiency, any CMS builds must involve consultation with the people who use it most, which means building systems and tools that seamlessly work with current editorial workflows, not against them.

The detail is in the discovery

No two editorial teams operate the same, workflows and approval processes can be drastically different, and these differences are rarely accounted for by templated solutions. By understanding how stories are published, development teams can shine a light on operational realities that are otherwise unnoticed and work within a flexible CMS to accommodate them.

Through workshops and hands-on collaboration, discovery can highlight operational elements that need to be protected, as well as processes that can be adjusted and simplified. From points of friction in editorial workflows to opportunities for automation, discovery is an opportunity to identify gaps, challenge assumptions, and shape CMS systems around real team needs.

This detail only emerges when the people doing the work are part of the conversation. initiating this level of involvement in discovery also sets the tone for future iterations, ensuring that improvements are driven by real editorial needs.

Custom improvements with WordPress

Having a flexible CMS that allows for custom builds to support unique editorial workflows is key to making real improvements of value, this is where WordPress presents a clear advantage for enterprise news brands.

As an open, extensible platform, WordPress offers ample flexibility and allows publishers to tailor systems around team requirements. Custom roles and permissions can mirror internal hierarchies, bespoke content statuses can map to match internal approval processes, and custom blocks and pugins can be built to meet the ever evolving needs of modern media.