Why did Rue89 Strasbourg decide to focus on this project?
Rue89 Strasbourg’s original in-house-developed tool could not compete with the more attractive designs of Jetpack and Google Analytics. Refining their tool gave Rue89 Strasbourg greater autonomy and direct control over its readership data.
How did applying design-thinking principles help?
A prototyping phase at the start of the project allowed the team to test how journalists wanted to see and use their statistics. This early feedback ensured the tool was practical and tailored to the newsroom.
Did Rue89 Strasbourg’s approach change engagement with its audience in any way?
Indirectly, perhaps. The tool is entirely internal, but in empowering journalists with access to analytics, the newsroom could better understand audience behavior.
What challenges did Rue89 Strasbourg encounter and how did it address them?
The newsroom faced several challenges: Gathering and integrating old data from a decade of archives; ensuring fast and efficient data display; and managing database and storage issues for large volumes of content. These technical hurdles slowed progress but clarified long-term infrastructure needs.
How was Rue89 Strasbourg’s project received by its audience?
As the Impactomètre is an internal tool, Rue89 Strasbourg’s audience did not have a reaction to it. But the tool did allow the team to better understand audience trends, which will ultimately benefit readers through more informed journalism.
What insights or lessons did Rue89 Strasbourg gain from this project?
One of the main lessons was that projects like this always take longer than expected. What initially seemed like a straightforward task — developing an internal analytics tool — became far more complex when facing expectations shaped by third-party tools like Jetpack and Google Analytics.
What does Rue89 Strasbourg plan on doing next?
The team is now working on a second tab of the tool focused on the economic side of the news process. The data exists but still needs integration, which will complete the broader vision of combining audience and revenue insights in one in-house system.
What advice would Rue89 Strasbourg give to other journalists or organisations considering a similar path?
Start by clearly defining what message you want to convey and who your audience is. Rue89 Strasbourg began the process this way, and it required a lot of back and forth before the actual development could begin. Taking the time to clarify goals early on helps avoid unnecessary work later and ensures that the final tool truly serves its intended purpose.
Credit: Transitions, Journalismfund Europe's partner for implementing the Microgrants for Small Newsrooms programme, produced this case study.
