By Li Anxin
Based on his expertise as the digital consultant of the WAN-IFRA Expert Panel, Clifford offered a blueprint for balancing audience engagement with editorial integrity.
By addressing specific user needs, which range from real-time updates to deeper storytelling, media companies can move from reactive content production to proactive audience engagement, fostering loyalty and trust.
Traditionally, newsrooms operated on a content-driven model, prioritising quantity over quality to capture audience attention. However, as Clifford told participants at the event in Singapore, much of this content fails to connect truly.
“Eighty-five percent of articles don’t generate meaningful engagement or conversions,” Clifford said, naming them as “ghost articles” that take longer to produce than the total time spent reading them.
The shift to user-centric journalism
The user needs framework addresses this inefficiency by categorising audience demands into actionable clusters, such as “update me,” “educate me,” and “inspire me.”
Clifford shared how a sports desk once overproduced articles on niche topics like rugby league while ignoring high-demand coverage of Premier League football as an example. Refocusing efforts on audience priorities yielded significant engagement gains.
Transform from data to action
Data is the backbone of user needs strategies, but data alone isn’t enough. Clifford stressed the need for editorial judgment. “Metrics guide us, but they shouldn’t dictate everything. Balancing data-driven decisions with journalistic instincts is key to maintaining credibility and value.”
In practice, data can be used to identify content gaps while ensuring that editorial standards remain high. When tackling complex topics like climate change, newsrooms can combine “educate me” and “help me” strategies to explain issues and provide actionable steps for readers to make a difference.
Success stories in user-needs journalism
Real-world examples illustrate the transformative power of user needs strategies. Clifford pointed to election coverage, where breaking news (“update me”) is supplemented with explainer articles (“educate me”) and expert analyses (“give me perspective”). This layered approach maximises audience engagement while providing depth and context.
Clifford also added that simplifying the framework is crucial. “If you overcomplicate it with too many categories, editors and reporters will struggle to implement it effectively. Start with the basics and iterate over time.”
Another challenge is ensuring inclusivity. User needs frameworks must reflect diverse audience demographics to avoid marginalising underrepresented groups. Clifford recommended regular community engagement—through surveys, focus groups, or social media—to ensure all voices are heard.
A transformation roadmap
For newsrooms looking to adopt user needs strategies, Clifford offered actionable advice:
Define Your Brand Purpose: Understand what your organisation stands for and how it serves its audience. This clarity will guide content strategies.
Leverage Data: Use analytics to identify what works and what doesn’t, but contextualise metrics with editorial insight.
Start Small: Initially, focus on a few user needs, such as “update me” and “educate me,” and expand as your team adapts.
Train and Support Journalists: Provide clear guidelines, checklists, and feedback to help reporters align their work with user needs.
Iterate Continuously: Treat user needs strategies as a living process, refining approaches based on audience feedback and performance data.
By embracing user needs strategies and creating stories that genuinely matter to audiences, news organisations can build stronger connections, foster trust, and achieve sustainable growth.
“It’s not about what we think the audience needs – it’s about listening to what they’re telling us they want,” Clifford said.
For media leaders ready to adapt, the user needs framework offers a path to relevance and impact in an increasingly competitive landscape.
About the author: Li Anxin is a Communication Studies student at NTU, specialising in social media marketing and content creation.
Our Asian Media Leaders Summit took place over two days in November in Singapore.
