Most newsrooms do not need more tools or a bigger website. They need someone to help them figure out which problems are actually worth solving, and in what order.

That is what newsroom consulting is. Not a discovery call with a sales pitch at the end. A working conversation where we look at your newsroom, your audience, what is working, and what is getting in the way.

What it looks like in practice

We start by asking questions. What is the newsroom trying to do this year? Who are you trying to reach, and who is reaching you instead? What does success look like in six months? What are you trying to avoid?

From there, we look at what you have: the site, the CMS, the donation stack, the newsletter, how readers find you, how they leave. We form a point of view on what the real problem is and what is worth addressing first.

You get a clear opinion, not a forty-page report. A direction, not a framework. If a full rebuild is not what you need, we will tell you. If the problem is something simpler, like a slow homepage or a broken signup flow, we will say that too.

When consulting makes sense

Before you invest in development. Before a redesign. When NewsMatch is approaching and you are not sure your site can handle the moment. When you are juggling conflicting advice from board members, consultants, and vendors and want one clear perspective. When a previous redesign did not move the numbers and you want to understand why.

What we do not do

We do not consult as a way to sell you a bigger project. If the right answer is a small fix, we will say so. If it is outside our scope, we will tell you who actually does it well.

The goal is for you to leave the conversation knowing what to do next, whether or not you do it with us.

Let us talk about your newsroom.