The old division of labor in publishing — editorial creates content, the product team handles technology, and sales sells advertising — no longer works in the age of AI. The boundaries are blurring: those who develop content today must also be able to monetize it. Those who distribute content must understand user flows. And anyone who wants reach must internalize product thinking.
Editorial teams need a new self-image:
They are no longer just content providers. They are product developers — with KPIs, user focus, and growth ideas. In this final part of the series, I show how publishers can transform from journalistic factories into agile content startups — and why this is essential for economic survival.
1. Editorial Teams as Product Teams: A Necessary Transformation
Let’s imagine a typical morning meeting of a web editorial team in 2025:
The list of topics is full, resources are scarce, and at the same time the analytics are reporting: reach is down, clicks are collapsing, and AI bots have long since distributed the outlet’s own content.
At this moment it becomes clear: it’s no longer enough just to schedule topics. Editorial teams must act like product teams — with a focus on relevance, formats, the user journey, and monetization.
What the shift to true product thinking means:
- Understand target audiences
- Think of content as a solution to a problem (“job to be done”)
- Include format development and the user journey
- And last but not least: consider monetization, don’t leave it out
Briefly:
👉 The newsroom of the future no longer just produces “articles” – it builds products. Just like in a factory in the past or in a software company today.
2. Was macht ein journalistisches Produkt aus?
A good story alone is not yet a product. A product only comes into being when content, format, and business model work together—like a podcast that is released regularly, has a clearly defined target audience, and can be monetized. Products differ from articles by their structure, repeatability, and measurability.
A journalistic product is…t ist…
| differentiating | Example |
| target-audience oriented | „Economics explained for career starters“ |
| recurring | Weekly newsletter, dossier series, podcast |
| monetizable | Paid subscription, club model, sponsorship, affiliate |
| differentiating | Perspective, depth, format, language |
| differentiating | Open rate, leads, engagement, lifetime value |
👉A good journalistic product does not live solely on a single story, but on systematics and audience orientation. It has a clear purpose, is repeatable and measurable—and carries a business model within it from the very beginning.
3. From article to product – an example
📰 Before:
“Article about real estate prices in Munich”
💡 Today, thought of as a product:
“Munich.Rent.Monitor” – a monthly updated service including:
- Article + infographic
- Newsletter with exclusive early data
- Mini-dashboard for members
- Partner integration with real estate portals
- Monetization via paywall + affiliate + sponsorship
👉 Tip: The difference between a “story” and a “product” does not lie in length or appearance, but in the system behind it: repeatability, a clear target audience, value beyond a single article—and a built-in business model.
4. What newsrooms need to learn from startups
When newsrooms think like startups, it’s no longer enough to simply publish content. Growth becomes an integral part of the strategy—with clear goals and measurable results.
| Principle | Application in publishing |
| MVP – Minimum Viable Product | Instead of planning a full 12-article series right away, test with 1 pilot first. |
| Iteration over perfection | Analyze feedback from newsletter opens and push notification responses |
| Customer feedback first | Survey readers and adjust content accordingly |
| Funnel thinking | Plan the reader journey: first reach → then lead → then conversion |
| Consider monetization from the start | Set up every format with a revenue option – paid, ads, sponsorship, upsell |
5. New roles in newsroom teams
Anyone who still sees a newsroom merely as a “text factory” is thinking too small. In product-driven teams, entirely new roles emerge—some formal, many more defined by mindset.
- Product Editor: Plans formats with audience focus, KPI-oriented
- Audience Editor: Manages distribution, push, SEO, and reader feedback
- Data Journalist: Identifies data-driven story opportunities and develops tools
- Growth Manager (editorial): Develops funnels, user journeys, and retention strategies
- Conversion Creator: Writes for landing pages, subscription incentives, and sales newsletters
💡 Tip: If you can’t staff these roles individually, at least ensure the editorial leadership has product expertise.ng.
6. Tools & methods for product-oriented newsrooms
Product thinking remains theoretical if it’s not translated into daily practice. This is exactly where tools and methods—originally from tech and startup worlds—become indispensable for newsrooms today.
- Notion or Trello: Editorial planning as a Kanban board
- Figma or Canva: Rapid prototyping of formats
- Google Forms / Typeform: Easily collect user feedback
- Matomo / GA4 / PostHog: Track and understand your own user flows
- beehiiv / Substack / Brevo: Newsletters as a product frontend
- A/B Testing: For headlines, paywall texts, push notifications, etc.
- User interviews & surveys: Collect structured feedback
7. Newsrooms as growth engines
Product thinking in newsrooms also means: growth as a strategic goal. Concretely, this means:
📈 Content is prioritized based on impact, leads, and conversion
💰 Resources are allocated not just by newsworthiness, but by audience potential
🧠 Editorial growth plans exist—not just topic plans
Product thinking in newsrooms also means:
growth as a strategic goal.
Concretely, this means:
- 📈 Content is prioritized based on impact, leads, and conversion
- 💰 Resources are allocated not just by newsworthiness, but by audience potential
- 🧠 Editorial growth plans exist—not just topic plans
Conclusion: What publishers need to do now
✅ Organize newsrooms as product teams: develop content with value, repeat engagement, and monetization potential
✅ Establish a startup mindset: build MVPs, test, learn, and scale
✅ Define new roles: who handles distribution, who thinks monetization, who measures success?
✅ Put audiences at the center: treat content as solutions, not just outputs
✅ Iterate & scale formats: fewer projects, more product lines
Interested in exchanging ideas on monetization or the future of publishing?
We advise publishers on securing their monetization and repositioning themselves in the new AI-driven landscape.
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