CRAFTED. | The Tech Podcast for Founders, Makers, and Innovators

How Media Is Made Today: AI and a Modern CMS | Matt Monahan, President, Arc XP, The Washington Post

Aug 6, 2024

Matt Monahan, president of Arc XP at the Washington Post, dives into the complexities of modern media creation and distribution. He discusses the pivotal role of content management systems and how they can transform from cost centers to profit generators. The conversation explores the impact of generative AI on reducing journalists' workload, and the influence of Jeff Bezos's practices on the Post's operations, particularly the famed six-page memo. Monahan also shares valuable lessons about navigating business challenges and the importance of adaptability.

26:03

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Matt Monahan

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Integrating AI in content production allows media companies to streamline workflows while emphasizing the importance of human oversight in journalism.

Successfully commercializing an internal CMS like ArcXP involves understanding diverse operational needs and adapting to external client demands.

Deep dives

Navigating Turbulence in Media

The rise of AI presents both opportunities and challenges for product leaders in the media industry. As AI continues to disrupt traditional content creation and distribution methods, it becomes crucial to evaluate the role of human oversight in these automated processes. Media companies can benefit from integrating AI in areas like content production and SEO tagging, allowing journalists to focus on more creative aspects of storytelling. However, balancing automation with the need for trust and nuance in journalism remains a critical challenge.

Intro

2min

Pioneering Change in Digital Media: The CMS Revolution

2min

The Evolution of Content Management Systems

11min

Harnessing Generative AI for Media Innovation

5min

Navigating AI in Podcast Content Creation

4min

Navigating Business Challenges Like a Pilot

4min

Making media is hard. Distributing it to the right audience even more so. GenAI can help.

Matt Monahan is the president of Arc XP at the Washington Post. On this episode, we're digging into the core technology of any media company: the content management system (CMS), why they’re so hard to build right and how new GenAI tools can reduce the toil required for journalists to get their stories to the right audience.

Arc XP is not only the CMS used by the Washington Post, but it’s also used by many other publishers, broadcasters, and companies with stories to tell. Matt shares more on the challenge of commercializing and white-listing an internal tool for others to use. It’s a tantalizing idea – turn that cost center into a profit center! — but it’s not for the faint of heart.

Plus, lessons from Jeff Bezos, the owner of the Washington Post, including how the Post uses key Amazon practices, such as the “six page memo” and “one- and two-way doors.”

Key Moments:

(00:00) - Introduction
(02:25) - From print to digital: hard product & organizational changes
(04:17) - Why the CMS is where it all comes together
(06:27) - Commercializing an internal tool: selling Arc XP to other publishers
(10:07) - AWS and the impact of Jeff Bezos on the Washington Post
(11:30) - The famous six-page memo and how the Post benefits from it
(14:06) - GenAI: New features Matt is building to reduce toil for journalists
(19:16) - How to pick the right model and fine tune it
(21:55) - Matt’s a pilot! What flying has taught him about running a business
(23:04) - Being nimble: Why there are more “one way doors” than you think
(24:38) - Outro

CRAFTED. is brought to you in partnership with Docker, which helps developers build, share, run and verify applications anywhere – without environment confirmation or management. More than 20 million developers worldwide use Docker's suite of development tools, services and automations to accelerate the delivery of secure applications.

CRAFTED. is produced by Modern Product Minds, where CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg and team can help you take a new product from zero to one... and beyond. We specialize in early stage product discovery, growth, and experimentation. Learn more at modernproductminds.com

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