What happens when a 117-year-old Harlem newspaper meets lightning-fast change?
For The Amsterdam News, the answer was to reinvent — and to find the right partner to make that reinvention possible.
New York Amsterdam News President and Chief Revenue Officer Siobhan “Sam” Bennett had already rolled out six different software platforms on her own, spending up to 25 hours a week for two years. But she knew software alone wasn’t the solution. The paper was already spending $40,000 on products that hadn’t been used once. “The magic bullet is the talented human beings behind the software,” Bennett says. Enter Knight x LMA BloomLab’s shared tech services.
Most small newsrooms can’t afford dedicated technologists and fractional CTOs. Knight x LMA BloomLab’s tech team becomes an extension of a newsroom’s staff. It helps with technology vetting, vendor negotiations, onboarding, optimization and business transformation coaching. The goal: reduce barriers to digital evolution and accelerate sustainability.
Knight x LMA BloomLab tech shared services results
A 20-to-1 return on investment — and the freedom for Bennett to focus on revenue and strategy instead of wrestling with software. The impact spans the entire enterprise:
- A full rebrand and new website, developed in-house
- First-ever reader focus groups to inform product and engagement strategy
- Upgrades across advertising, finance, circulation, CRM, and editorial pipelines
- Favorable pricing and terms with vendors
Bennett sums it up best: “The only thing you can do is leverage strategic action. This shared service does exactly that: helps save money, improves efficiency and productively, and increases ROI. I can’t imagine a more strategic investment.”
Key takeaways from Amsterdam News’ success
- Invest in people, not just products. BloomLab’s pilot shows that systems need embedded human support to succeed. Shared services ensure milestones don’t stall.
- Count the hidden savings of time and focus. Recovered hours, fewer failed deployments and greater agility compound the value.
- Strengthen every department — not just editorial. Advertising, finance, subscription operations — all gain coherence when technology is well integrated.
Read the 2024 Knight x LMA BloomLab Impact Report, which details more than $2.5 million in technology savings and the successful implementation of 200-plus tools.
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