Different people, however, have a different understanding of the term "integrated" or "convergent" newsroom. For some it simply means that one set of journalists, rather than two, create content for all forms of media, print, Web, mobile, etc., but the editorial control remains within the departments, such as news, politics, finance, etc.

For others it means much more, a fundamental reorganization of the newsroom, breaking down the barriers between departments and streamlining editorial control, with one editor responsible for all content delivery channels.

Either way, today's content is being delivered in more ways than ever.

Print/Web Synergy

Most of the latest Content Management Systems being implemented today know nothing about print-and most print systems know nothing about the Web. They remain a separate process in a process driven organization.

Newspapers often use costly separate staffing and two or more systems, linked by inefficient interfaces, to reach different delivery targets. This is even though most newspapers want to have unified news gathering operations able to deliver news in ways that complement each other and exploit the strengths of different media channels.

From computer screens to PDAs to cell phones, journalism is no longer confined to the printed page. Today's journalists must learn to move confidently across a variety of media platforms.

Some see convergence as an obstacle to good journalism, but in the 24-hour newsroom a journalist reports, writes and then files a story, often to the Web first-then he goes deeper. He calls another source, then another, ad infinitum. When he gets something interesting, he updates the story and, when needed, sends it to the page for printing. He might then edit the audio and video of those earlier interviews, looking for good sound bites and more information. That is not acting at the expense of journalism. That is modern journalism.

Some reputable industry pundits believe that the technology newspapers use doesn't matter, that all newsroom editorial systems can enable an efficient, integrated newsroom. This white paper makes the case that technology does matter. The right content management system and integrated database can significantly increase efficiency, lower cost, and leave more time for journalists to do what they do best: write compelling stories targeted at their various audiences.

Less is More

Larger newspapers built entire separate Web newsrooms, duplicating staff, effort and expense. For most, the decline in print advertising revenues has made this model financially impossible to sustain. Their print-based editorial content and advertising was largely funding the online publication.

At other newspapers, print journalists "repurpose" content for the Internet, and once copy has been repurposed, files are sent to a "content management system" where someone else perhaps re-edits, then uploads content to a website. For many newspapers, the idea is to break news online first, then continually make updates during the day. They are, however, restricted by the process and technology they use, and for many newspapers it can take hours for the breaking news to "break" online. The story has also had to be handled at least twice, and apart from cost, this makes version control difficult.

Different systems for print and digital publishing are probably still the norm, even though this is no longer necessary.

A new breed of newsroom computer system has evolved, a print-based system that have Web functionality bolted on, and Web-based systems that have some print functionality bolted on. Both are compromises, and both use legacy, relational object databases that make them much less efficient than they could be-and yet newspapers are still buying them today.

The Future Solution

The future demands a single integrated newsroom solution with one high-performance, post-relational, multimedia content database; one easy-to-use GUI (graphical user interface); and one training course that teaches people all they need to know to do their jobs efficiently.

The future demands support for all delivery methods from Web to print, podcasts to blogs, and video to mobile. This single multichannel, multimedia design will make it easier for newsroom staff, and less expensive for the newspaper.

The future is here today. We call it DTI ContentPublisher.

DTI ContentPublisher is an entire suite of highly efficient software tools that facilitate everything a modern journalist might need, from editorial budgeting, content creation, wire, blogs, picture management, automated pagination, and digital publishing to Web, mobile and SMS. It manages the seamless flow of content from a full spectrum of news sources-including local and remote writers, citizen journalists, and media contributors-to any platform.

An important part of the DTI ContentPublisher solution is DTI Lightning, DTI's unique multimedia, multichannel Total Content Management System. DTI Lightning allows one person to write, edit and publish stories and pictures to print and digital channels-and as its name implies, it's lightning fast.

Apart from this, DTI ContentPublisher has two added advantages that are unique to the industry.

The first is LiquidMedia^&trade a patented strategic platform that enables newspapers to integrate disparate systems. This allows the seamless sharing of information and digital assets throughout the enterprise-from and to any system, anywhere, regardless of platform-eliminating obsolescence, extending functionality, improving efficiency and saving money.

The second is Audiencentricity. We believe that DTI is the only newspaper systems developer that is building "targeting intelligence" into its systems, based on accurate data gathered from many sources. This enables newspapers to deliver content via different channels and target it accurately for specific audiences. This creates reader, as well as advertiser, value, and helps the newspaper to make money.

For years DTI solutions have had built-in integration, automation and control, with features that save time and cost and make everyday tasks easier for users, as well as increase revenue for customers.

Integrating editorial with advertising, at the database level is another DTI innovation that enables integrated production, integrated management reporting, and a much better flow of information. It makes publishing altogether easier, and is a superior content model, the benefits of which many publishers from around the world have come to enjoy.

The Adobe® Partnership

Some years ago, through close development cooperation, DTI transformed Adobe® InDesign and InCopy into multi-user, collaborative tools for newspaper and magazine print publishing. This provides the writing, design and pagination tools that many journalists already know. DTI is now integrating Adobe's Web publishing applications such as Dreamweaver, Soundbooth, Premiere Express, Visual Communicator, Flash, and others into collaborative, enterprise-strength tools, creating the publishing industry's most powerful and efficient print and digital publishing solution.

The result is true multimedia, multichannel publishing from one single system, without the need for hi-tech staff, and without duplicating editorial staff or systems. In fact, it provides journalists with more control and a wider audience than ever before.

How Is This Cost-Saving Technology Implemented?

The easiest way this new technology is through DTI Cloud.

DTI Cloud embraces cloud computing and the SaaS (Software as a Service) business model. It enables newspapers to reduce operating costs by outsourcing their digital as well as their pre-press production systems to an ultra-secure hosted environment. DTI Cloud also provides significant economies of scale and enables newspaper groups to respond to the rapidly changing demands of news publishing without large, up-front capital expenditure. Software and services may be added on demand, with any additional cost paid in parallel with receiving the additional financial benefits.

If you would like to learn more, or attend a Webinar, please contact: info@dtint.com.