Product development for newsrooms: What it is and why it matters

Any newsroom, regardless of size, can adopt a product development approach by putting simple processes and tools in place. It does not require additional training so much as a shift in the editorial team’s mindset.

Jun. 2026
Publication

Product development offers editorial teams a practical system for transforming broad ideas into content formats that effectively connect with and serve their audience.

Product development provides a structured method for generating, testing, and launching new formats, ensuring that resources are spent only on concepts the audience actually values.

For those looking to move from concept to implementation, check IMS’s practical online guide in English – How to Plan, Test and Scale New Content Formats (IMS Learn). It walks through the full product-development cycle – from idea generation and testing to analysis and scaling – across seven concise modules, with hands-on tools, templates and real newsroom examples tailored to small editorial teams working with limited budgets.

Available in six languages.

EU flag, co-funded by the European Union

The Media Pluralism Fund is operated by Journalismfund Europe and the Capacity Building and Mentorship is run by IMS (International Media Support). This project is co-funded by the European Commission and the King Baudouin Foundation.

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.