About this project

The content management system (CMS) is the lifeblood of digital publishing. It’s central to everything we do. Yet it is highly complex.

The International News Media Association (INMA) and the Google News Initiative (GNI) have partnered to help news organisations demystify what many publishers find to be a complex area and help them identify the most suitable systems to fit their needs.

Check out the report “How News Media Companies Should Select a CMS” by INMA, It is a step-by-step guide to identifying stakeholders, what they need from a CMS, and what steps must be taken to ensure that every action and usage is considered.

The aim of the tool, which was unveiled at a CMS Project Town Hall October 4, was to demystify what many publishers find to be a complex area and help them identify the most suitable systems to fit their needs.

3-step process

This project followed a three-step process that involved identifying publisher needs, vendor analysis, and finding the best publisher/vendor fits.

• Identifying publisher needs: Different sized publishers have very different needs. After identifying a core set of functionality, the group conducted a survey and a number of one-on-one interviews with publishers to verify and hone this list, which would serve as the basis for much of the vendor analysis.
• Vendor analysis: A small selection of vendors were asked to take part. The analysis included a vendor-filled detailed questionnaire, a 90-minute demo, and customer reference checks. This research was carried out by an independent third party. The vendors invited to take part serve a wide range of media organisations and are largely chosen from the initial publisher survey.
• Publisher/vendor fit: Based on publisher needs and verified vendor responses we created a matrix to give a publisher a shortlist of vendors based on their size and geography. Publishers can also get a more detailed view from a three-page review of information based on the detailed research carried out for each vendor.

About the CMS Project

The content management system (CMS) is the lifeblood of digital publishing. It’s central to everything we do. Yet it is highly complex.

The International News Media Association (INMA) and the Google News Initiative (GNI) have partnered to create a tool to assist news organisations in the difficult task of selecting a CMS.

The aim of the tool, unveiled in October 2023 and updated in November 2024, is to demystify what many publishers find to be a complex area and help them identify the most suitable systems to fit their needs.