Building a sustainable digital archive service to support news production with an African perspective: A case study of Newzroom Afrika Archives

Newzroom Afrika — a relatively new player in the broadcasting landscape of South Africa — seeks to be a true reflection of the diverse digital and cultural landscape of Africa. To this end, it provides an innovative, multimedia news service that transcends the traditional linear television experience, engaging the audience through interaction across all news and information-sharing platforms. This case study explores the channel’s journey in navigating the challenges and opportunities faced in implementing a suitable and effective digital archive service and media asset management system tailored to the needs of a growing media organisation with a unique African viewpoint. In addition to discussing the obstacles this growing channel had to overcome in order to realise this ambitious goal, it also describes meticulous organisation of people, infrastructure, resources and systems required to establish an archive infrastructure and service that are sufficiently robust to manage, organise and store all generated content for future reference and utilisation. After a discussion of how Newzroom Afrika Archives has continued to adapt to meet the demands and challenges of a dynamic and rapidly evolving newsroom environment, the study concludes by highlighting the key insights gained from these experiences.