News Editorial App for a US News Agency

Client

A national or regional news agency aiming to streamline its editorial workflows, improve collaboration, and accelerate time-to-publish for digital and print stories.

Project Overview

The client required a centralized editorial platform that enables journalists, editors, and designers to work together efficiently. The system had to support the full content lifecycle: idea generation, drafting, editing, fact-checking, approval, publishing, and analytics — all under one digital roof.

Objectives

Enable multi-role editorial collaboration (reporters, editors, designers)
Improve workflow transparency and task tracking
Provide real-time story status dashboards
Integrate with the agency’s CMS, social media, and newswire
Support both text and multimedia content

Core Features

1. Story Lifecycle Management

Statuses: Idea → Assigned → Draft → In Review → Approved → Published
Role-based permissions: reporters submit, editors approve, designers attach visuals

2. Collaborative Editor

Rich-text WYSIWYG with track changes, comments, and version control
Embeds for quotes, images, videos, tweets
AI-powered grammar and plagiarism checker (optional)

3. Task & Deadline Management

Calendar and Kanban view of story pipelines
Assignment of articles with deadlines and reminders
Automated notifications for status changes or missed deadlines

4. Multichannel Publishing

Push to CMS (Drupal/WordPress/Custom), social media (Meta, X, Telegram), and print
Metadata tagging, SEO fields, image captions, and category assignment

5. Media Asset Management

Central library for photos, videos, documents
Rights management and source tracking for each file

6. Analytics & Feedback

Real-time views and engagement stats from integrated analytics (Google, Matomo)
Editorial feedback loops for post-publication review

Technology Stack

Frontend

Backend

Database

Storage

Authentication

APIs

Deployment

React

Node.js

PostgreSQL

MinIO

OAuth2

Headless CMS, Social Media Graph APIs

Docker + Kubernetes or traditional VPS

Implementation Process

Workshops with reporters, editors, and digital teams to define workflows
Creation of user personas and UX wireframes
Agile development with weekly demos
Pilot rollout for one editorial department
Full-scale deployment and onboarding across all divisions

Outcomes

60% faster article approval time
Better accountability with clear editorial audit trails
Increased productivity from newsroom staff
Seamless cross-platform publishing and improved content reach

Conclusion

The News Editorial App revolutionized the newsroom by digitizing and unifying editorial operations, giving the client a strategic advantage in speed, transparency, and content quality. The platform is now the central nerve center of the agency’s publishing strategy.