"We can only keep up with combined forces".

The non-profit association Media Commons was founded just under a year and a half ago by the initiators of the news portal platform NP8, on which the site Werbewoche.ch, among others, has been based since its relaunch. In addition to the media companies Somedia (to which Werbewoche also belongs) and Gassmann, the members today also include Zürich Oberland Medien, SWS Medien, Meier + Cie and Netzmedien.

Werbewoche: Tom Schneider, what does the Media Commons association do?

Tom Schneider: The Media Commons Association is an association of medium-sized media companies. Our core topic is digitization. We deal with the challenges of digital structural change in media use. One important project in this context is the further development of NP8, our joint content management system for media websites.

There are already many content management systems. What is special about NP8?

NP8 is an open system based on the stable Drupal 8 technology. The special features of NP8 are the additional functions developed by us, which are tailored to the current requirements of a Swiss media house. These include a paywall with connection to customary payment systems or the integration of the news feed of the Swiss Dispatch Agency (SDA).

Behind most content management systems are large software companies. Does it really make sense to develop this software in an association?

Yes, I am convinced of that. But I have to add that we don't employ any software developers. The Media Commons association defines the functionalities that the content management system must have in the future. Our association representatives all come from a media house and are in close contact with the editorial offices. This ensures that input from the field is implemented in the technical system in the shortest possible way.

Another important advantage of the association is the "pooling" of financial resources. Each member pays a fixed contribution per year into our development fund. This provides us with a considerable amount of money, which we can use to further develop our websites together. And we do it in a way that only the big media companies do. I am convinced that we can only keep up with the rapid pace of technological change by joining forces.

Who decides how the financial resources are used?

Every member of the association can enter their wishes for technical developments on a common platform. This wish list is regularly discussed and evaluated by a steering committee. All media houses are represented on the committee by a specialist. The committee has the task of putting together two development packages per year from the usually long wish list, which are then handed over to external development companies for implementation. If a media house has the necessary expertise and resources, contracts can also be awarded within the association.

And how does the association monitor the implementation of the development packages?

The topic "project management" is very important for us - all members of the association and our association itself have had their relevant experiences with this. After lengthy discussions, we have decided on a rotation principle. Each member of the association alternately takes over the project management for a development package and is financially compensated for it. This way we can ensure a professional project management on the one hand and keep the administrative costs low on the other hand. As much money as possible should remain for the actual technical development.

What topics is the Media Commons association currently working on?

An important topic for us is the workflows in the editorial offices. These are in the process of undergoing fundamental change. The reason for this is the behavior of media consumers. They are used to news appearing first on electronic channels, where they are enriched with all kinds of multimedia content such as photo spreads and videos. Readers are increasingly putting online before print. Unfortunately, the technical systems in many media companies today are often still set up in such a way that content is first produced in the print system and then - more or less conveniently - exported to the online system. We want to change that: The content management system with all its multimedia possibilities should become the primary working system of the editorial offices. This means that what has long been true on the reader market should also apply technically: online first.

Another major issue for us is tracking user behavior. Unlike the big media companies, however, our members have neither powerful CRM systems nor huge server farms for highly complex real-time analyses at their disposal. In addition, our regional media often have much lower user numbers and thus a much narrower database. This is where the association wants to introduce its members to the topic in small steps with affordable, smart solutions.

What growth strategy is the association pursuing?

We are pursuing a strategy of modest, organic growth. It seems to me that more important than a large number of members is the fact that the structures and strategies of the media companies organized in the association fit together. We want to develop digitally rapidly, and our members must have both the necessary financial resources and the will to invest in the digital transformation of their companies. Medium-sized media houses that want to actively take up this challenge are welcome to join the Media Commons association.

Interview: Andreas Stutz, Dimedio