Online infrastructure is pivotal for news organizations to ensure a sustainable future. A well-supported infrastructure is essential for publishing journalism that reaches audiences and informs communities. However, interviews and surveys with deans, student media advisors, and journalists at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) revealed a disheartening trend. HBCU newsrooms have been left to navigate digital transformation on their own.
Content Management System (CMS) providers play a vital role in the fate of online news organizations, including student media. Our findings show that CMS platform providers have largely failed their HBCU customers. The combination of inadequate technical infrastructure and insufficient technical support has resulted in underperforming websites. This situation has hindered the ability of HBCU student media to produce engaging journalism that effectively reaches its intended audience.
The HBCU Collaborative is dedicated to supporting and strengthening HBCU student media and journalism programs by providing them with access to cutting-edge technology, industry editors and digital specialists, and essential training. Central to this effort is the Online Publishing Lab, which will empower HBCU student newsrooms to produce high-quality online journalism using trusted platforms.
The Online Publishing Lab will provide participating newsrooms with an industry-leading CMS platform, Newspack, along with comprehensive training and support to ensure successful adoption. The first cohort of the Online Publishing Lab will run from August to September. It will guide a cohort of 6 to 10 HBCU student newsrooms through migrations to the Newspack platform. Founding members of the HBCU Collaborative are guaranteed a seat in the Online Publishing Lab. Founding collaborative members include The Famuan of Florida A&M University, led by Dean Mira Lowe, and The Spokesman of Morgan State University, led by Dean Jackie Jones.
To ensure the successful adoption of Newspack among HBCU student newsrooms, our lab curriculum will focus on online publishing fundamentals, best practices, and product thinking. Training modules range from managing the homepage, content, and story display to SEO, evaluating audience metrics, and managing CTAs and campaigns — with the applied practice of their learnings within Newspack.
Members of the HBCU Collaborative who complete the Online Publishing Lab will join a network of connected websites. This network enables cross-sharing and republishing collaborative member content, fostering a vibrant community of online publishers. Additionally, HBCU student newsrooms will have the opportunity to experiment with cutting-edge AI tools in subsequent modules offered exclusively to members of the HBCU Collaborative.
HBCU student newsrooms serve as vital sources of information within their respective communities. As more HBCU student newsrooms move away from print, it’s important that they have the tools to produce journalism online. The Online Publishing Lab aims to revitalize the news landscape at HBCUs, nurturing the next generation of web producers and product managers through empowerment and skills acquisition.
We encourage more newsrooms to apply for membership to the HBCU Collaborative by Friday, August 2, 2024, for a seat in the Online Publishing Lab. However, members are admitted into the HBCU Collaborative on a rolling basis. HBCU newsrooms interested in participating in the Online Publishing Lab can apply for membership.
For more information about this and other programs, visit the HBCU Collaborative. Interested in joining the Online Publishing Lab? Register for the collaborative to join the upcoming cohort. Would you like to support our mission of supporting? Please consider making a donation.
