Imagine juggling content planning for 86 newsrooms – that’s the reality Ippen.Media, a German publishing powerhouse, faced. With titles such as Frankfurter Rundschau, Münchner Merkur, BuzzFeed DACH and Ingame.de, Ippen.Media is one of the largest editorial networks in Germany.

Every second internet user in Germany surfs on one of the network’s 80 or so portals. Across Europe, Ippen.Media is the largest network for regional publishers with nine of its own and 12 partner sites.  

Journalists and editors faced a daunting challenge of managing outdated platforms and overflowing inboxes in their effort to exchange content and ideas.

Coordinating content sharing between regional and digital teams proved to be laborious, resulting in duplicate stories and overlooked chances for collaboration.

According to Christoph Zöllner, head of product at Ippen.Media: “The team at our company produces a large number of articles on a daily basis. These pieces of journalism are highly significant and beneficial, making it necessary to not limit their publication to just one time. That is why we have decided to share them within our network through a central exchange.”

How Ippen.Media created a central hub for newsroom collaboration

In 2022, Ippen.Media found its solution in Desk-Net, a central content exchange platform.

With Desk-Net they transformed their content planning process with the following innovations:

• A unified editorial calendar. Gone are the days of scattered plans. Desk-Net provides a single, centralised calendar, offering a clear view of planned content across all 86 newsrooms.
  
• Seamless content sharing. Journalists can now easily share pre-planned articles or story ideas within the platform. This eliminates the need for duplicate efforts and maximises the reach and impact of valuable content.
  
• An easy way to address licensing and royalties. Ippen.Media’s network frequently deals with licensing and royalty issues. Desk-Net helps manage these concerns. The platform ensures content is only shared when licensing and royalty agreements are finalsed. Content requiring a fee is clearly marked within Desk-Net.

The platform allows journalists to share content across different publications within the Ippen.Media network. For example, an article originally published in the Münchner Merkur could be shared with the Frankfurter Neue Presse, HNA in Kassel, or the Westfälischer Anzeiger in Hamm. Desk-Net provides various filters that enable users to search for content by category or publication, ensuring they can easily find relevant articles.

Daily content sharing has rocketed with less duplication

 “Daily content sharing between digital and print teams has skyrocketed to 60-80 articles,” reveals Zöllner. This translates to a significant reduction in duplicate content creation.

Prior to Desk-Net telephone conferences between the individual departments and numerous emails were a part of their daily routine. Desk-Net eliminates redundant efforts and journalists have more time to focus on in-depth reporting and investigative stories.

The platform fosters knowledge sharing and collaboration, allowing teams to learn from each other’s successes and develop a more cohesive and impactful content strategy.

How Ippen.Media persuaded journalists to embrace change

The transition wasn’t without its challenges. Some journalists, accustomed to the old way of doing things, were initially sceptical. However, Ippen.Media addressed these concerns through comprehensive training and clear communication on platform benefits.

They have implemented a shared e-learning platform to equip editorial teams with the skills necessary to effectively utilise Desk-Net’s features. Additionally, clear guidelines established for content sharing and editorial workflows ensure smooth platform operation and maximise user benefits.

Collaboration among editorial teams is crucial for maintaining these guidelines and fostering a successful working environment for all involved.

As Zöllner highlights: “Demonstrating how Desk-Net facilitated content sharing across publications quickly convinced even the most hesitant colleagues.”

Three key lessons for content planners from Ippen.Media

Ippen.Media’s success story offers three valuable lessons for news organisations struggling with content planning across geographically dispersed teams:

1) Embrace centralisation. A centralised content planning platform can streamline workflows, eliminate silos, and maximise the impact of your content.

2) Invest in user adoption. Comprehensive training and clear communication are crucial for encouraging user buy-in and maximising platform benefits.

3) Collaboration is key. Foster a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration to develop a more impactful content strategy across your network.

The future of content planning

Going forward, Ippen.Media plans to utilise Desk-Net as a central platform for drawing inspiration from all their newsrooms. Desk-Net facilitates a network for sharing ideas, enabling the creation of localised stories with broader national relevance.

By embracing a centralised approach and leveraging the power of collaborative tools like Desk-Net, news organisations can co-ordinate their content planning process, unlock the full potential of their network, and ultimately deliver high-quality journalism to a wider audience.

Desk-Net is the future of content planning for news organisations. Unlock the power of collaboration today.

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