I shared my experiences my experiences of implementing WordPress from a media company perspective at WordCamp Finland (Tampere, 9th May 2015). More information on WordCamp: https://finland.wordcamp.org/2015/

1. WORDPRESS AND
A MEDIA COMPANY
WordPress and Alma Media Kustannus Oy
– Pros and cons from our point of view
Timo-Jaakko Rautavuori
Development Manager |@timojr
8th May 2015, WordCamp Finland, Tampere

2. Background
Timo-Jaakko Rautavuori?
Has worked in online journalism since 2006
Backround: journalist, project manager
Managed multiple news site renewal projects at
Aamulehti and Alma Media Kustannus Oy
Alma Media Kustannus Oy?
Finnish Media Company
28 Newspapers (regional and local) + 30 news
websites in Finland
1 company = 30 sites = product development
 co-operation between sites

3. Our mission: News
We tell stories.
Masses of content: Approx. 500 articles published
daily (plus videos).
Masses of traffic (readers):Approx. 17 million
pageviews per month.
Company’s biggest site is Aamulehti.fi (10 million
pageviews per month)

4. WHERE WE WERE BACK IN 2011?

5. Where we were back in 2011?
Licenced CMS (launched 2008-2010)
No responsive design
Needed more speed to web development

6. Vision in 2011:Websites + open source
More speed to development by using open
source CMS
More efficiency to development with multiple
open source developers
Easier workflows for journalists
Lower costs

7. First Step: Moro in 2011-2012
(moro.aamulehti.fi)
Pilot project in a nutshell
Hyper local newssite inTampere
CMS: WordPress
Integration:WP + Online Ad System
Integration:WP + Publishing production
system for print
Integration:WP + Analytics
Design: Facelifted (but not responsive).
No in-house coding.
Agile project with a local WordPress
development company.

8. Results: Moro in 2011-2012
Overall: Great
Project: In time.
Readers: Liked.
Journalists: Loved.

9. Results: Moro in 2011-2012
Next steps
Two moreWordPress roll-out projects in
2013 based on moro.aamulehti.fi
1) Porilaine (porilaine.satakunnankansa.fi)
- Hyperlocal newspapaper. Similar to Moro but
located in Pori.
2) Hervannansanomat.fi
- Even more hyperlocal newspaper in Hervanta
(District inTampere)

10. Porilaine & Hervannan Sanomat (2013)

11. New vision in 2013: News site + paywall
Pilot: kainuunsanomat.fi, kuhmolainen.fi, yla-kainuu.fi, sotkamolehti.fi
Project included 4 newspapers located in Kainuu area:
Kainuun Sanomat (Regional newspaper)
Kuhmolainen (Local newspaper)
Ylä-Kainuu (Local newspaper)
Sotkamo-lehti (Local newspaper)

12. Kainuunsanomat.fi (2014): New features
- Responsive design
- Paywall  needed many integrations
Project:
- Concept (3 months) + Coding (6 months)
- Project management: Alma Media Kustannus Oy
- Three (!)WP partners:
1 company (coding)
1 company (reviewing the code)
1 company (auditing the security of system)

13. 2011
Moro
2013
Porilaine &
HerSa
2014
Kainuun
Sanomat (4
newspapers)
…yet to
come in
2015: Lapin
Kansa &
Pohjolan
Sanomat
?
Timeline

14. SUMMARY: PROS AND CONS

15. WP’s pros and cons from our viewpoint
PROS
+ Intuitive admin UI
+ Huge amount of (free) plugins
+ Easy to customize
+ No license costs
+ Many agile development partners
+ Speed of development in general
CONS
- Optimization problems: we customized admin
 the system became a bit too heavy

16. Pros and cons from our viewpoint
QUESTIONS:
- We don’t have in-houseWP developers.Yet?

17. Our vision in 2011 vs. assessment in 2015
In 2015 we use both licenced CMS and open source CMS.
• “More speed for development by using open source CMS” –
CHECK
• “Easier workflows for journalists” - CHECK
• “Lower costs” – CHECK
• “More efficiency on development with multiple open source
developers” – CHECK, BUT…

18. Thank you.
Timo-Jaakko Rautavuori
Development Manager, Alma Media Kustannus Oy
@timojr