汤头条

At a time when newsrooms are juggling linear broadcasts, websites, mobile apps, social feeds, and OTT channels, the pressure to deliver trusted news faster and more efficiently has never been higher.  

In a recent TV News Check panel, industry leaders from Sinclair, NBCUniversal, Hearst, Graham Media Group, and 汤头条 shared how they鈥檙e tackling these challenges, revealing shared frustrations, bold overhauls, and glimmers of optimism. 

Here are the key takeaways from that discussion. 

1. Old workflows are breaking under pressure 

Traditional newsroom structures, often built around legacy newsroom computer systems (NRCS) and siloed digital content management systems (CMS) platforms, aren鈥檛 cutting it anymore. 

鈥淲e鈥檙e still largely dealing with the same infrastructure that鈥檚 been running local newsrooms for a long time,鈥� said Sean McLaughlin, VP of News at Graham Media Group. 

Disconnected systems and manual handoffs are struggling to keep up with the demands of multiple platforms, slowing content distribution at a time when speed is crucial. Many stations are still operating on workflows built for a different era. 

鈥淭here鈥檚 just too many obstacles from field to viewer. We created all of these complicated systems in between鈥�We need to simplify all of these processes.鈥� said Ernie Ensign, AVP News, Technology & Operations at Sinclair. 

2. Story-centric workflows are the new mandate 

More and more newsrooms are taking a 鈥渟tory-centric鈥� approach to workflow design.听

鈥淪tory centricity means it鈥檚 about the story itself, not the platform or the output,鈥� explained Rene Gonzalez, Technical Product Manager at NBCUniversal News Group. Many broadcasters are shifting toward unified workflows that support that vision, where one story can feed many platforms without duplication. 

For more insights on the multiplatform news organization in 2025, watch the full panel discussion听here:听

3. AI and cloud infrastructure can help 鈥� but only with the right strategy 

Better cloud-based tools are slowly driving a transformation of the newsroom. They are driving efficiency, but must be tied to a long-term editorial vision. Rene Gonzalez emphasized the advantages: 鈥淐loud-based and serverless environments lift the limits of on-prem infrastructure.鈥� 

Sinclair has already centralized over 60 master control channels in the cloud. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to create some more flexibility in these operations,鈥� said Ensign. 鈥淚t鈥檚 helped us create some more story and reporter-driven type formats.鈥� 

鈥淎I is now a tool for us, and it is a tool that needs to be used responsibly,鈥� added Ernie Mourelo on the topic of AI. 鈥淏ut it is a way for us to leverage technology to find those stories that we may not have found otherwise.鈥�  

4. It鈥檚 tough to change newsroom culture  

While technology is evolving quickly, human behavior isn鈥檛. Despite the promise of new tools, resistance to change remains a significant barrier in many newsrooms.  

鈥淭he one thing that I have underestimated in my entire 30 years of doing this is how hard it is to change behavior in a newsroom,鈥� said McLaughlin. Even tools with obvious benefits face resistance. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been testing tools that are very user-friendly,鈥� Ensign told the group, 鈥淎nd you would think users would immediately embrace and see the potential鈥攂ut change is very difficult. I think we underestimated how difficult that change will be.鈥�   

5. Ensuring quality journalism is still what matters most 

The push for tech reform is about protecting journalism itself. Regardless of the toolset, good storytelling remains the guiding principle.   

鈥淭he story is what distributes. The newscast is just one vehicle,鈥� said McLaughlin. 鈥淭he content isn鈥檛 any good unless you spend time on it. Let鈥檚 just make the food taste better.鈥� Technology should serve the content, not the other way around. That means reevaluating how newsrooms are staffed and how field resources are used. 

Technology can help, but strategy must lead 

As these experts made clear, the tools are catching up to the needs鈥攂ut only if leaders are willing to rethink content production and distribution workflows.  

鈥淢edia organizations are constantly being asked to do more with less,鈥� said Ensign. 鈥淲e need to hit the easy button鈥�centralize all of our content in the cloud鈥� [and] create extensible systems to plug in whatever tool is necessary as the business needs change.鈥�  

The solution isn鈥檛 just technological鈥攊t鈥檚 cultural. Building better workflows is critical, but building alignment across people, tools, and purpose is what will make them better.