Charting Superdesk’s Journey: An Updated Product Roadmap

In our perpetual drive to achieve software perfection, we continue to upgrade Superdesk with new features, workflows, and efficiency-enhancing improvements. In the weeks and months ahead, users of our award-winning open-source newsroom management system can expect a host of new additions to make the editorial journey as smooth as possible. For a rundown of what’s around the corner and just over the horizon for Superdesk, take a look at our updated product roadmap.

At the next intersection

For news organisations using the Superdesk Planning Component, our native forward planning tool, improvements to how new coverage is planned will save journalists time by reducing tedious data entry work. For instance, Planning Component updates expected by the end of Q2 2021 include the ability to turn events into assignments with fewer clicks; a feature enabling export of events  directly to third-party calendars like Google; automated ingests and publication of events; and a calendar tool to showcase all user assignments in any workspace.

We are also extending the Superdesk Production API, updates that will allow third party apps to read even more content that is in process in Superdesk. For news agencies and other Superdesk users, this change will make it easier to provide clients with information related to newsroom activity, including metrics on the number of views and edits to specific content items, and real-time updates of news as it is being produced. The production API update is also expected to be released by the end of Q2 this year.

Around the corner

While Superdesk 2.2 is set to debut soon, we’re already making plans for release 2.3. Topping the list of new features that will come standard with that release are additional content profiles, which will speed up the configuration process for new users. At the moment, Superdesk admins must manually edit config files for events, planning items, videos, and images – anything other than a standard news story. From 2.3, this functionality will be built into the admin section of Superdesk itself.

Superdesk 2.3 will also include an enhanced Masterdesk multi-view. In addition to having an overview of all desks, the multi-view will enable editors to peek into the content production of one desk without being a member of it. 

Finally, with more granular permissions and user roles currently being developed, it will be easier to collaborate with freelancers. Changes include the ability to give external contributors access only to items assigned to them, and a tool for editors to export assignments to external editorial calendars.

Over the Horizon

Though technically not on the roadmap for Superdesk, we are eyeing a number of useful features that we hope to build in the not-too-distant future (and if you’d be interested in co-developing them with us, please get in touch!). These include:

• Custom knowledge base. With this feature, frequent users could create a list of concepts – from people and organisations to specialised words or frequently used terms – which will improve the consistency of their content and the efficiency of their workflows. This will be an extension of a feature already in place, called Annotations.
• Infographic management. Based on metadata, this would enable media items containing infographics to be indexed independent of the particular file or media type (such as .png, .jpg, JS, or embeds).
• Rights management. This functionality would help publishers and news agencies manage both rights-based limitations to the geographical usage of news items as well as time-based restrictions for the usage of images and videos.
• Print plugin. For news organisations that publish to print, this plugin would integrate Superdesk output with Adobe InDesign. Content published to digital channels from Superdesk would also be simultaneously passed to InDesign for parallel publication in print.
• Mobile-friendly Superdesk. A lighter-weight, simplified version of the Superdesk editorial interface, this would facilitate collaboration among freelancers working with news organisations as well as staff reporters who are physically outside the newsroom and filing their stories from a mobile device.

Collectively, these improvements will help news organisations powered by Superdesk ensure that their journey from news ideation to distribution is smooth and efficient, and that newsroom resources are deployed to their maximum potential.

Want to see for yourself how Superdesk could revolutionise your newsroom? Get in touch or schedule a free demo.