Rainsystems · Editorial operations
R
The newsroom · est. May 2024

Between commits.

A studio notebook. Essays on editorial systems, engineering field notes, the occasional rant about CSS. Published when there's something worth writing, not on a schedule.

All · 37 Commissioning web work · 14 How we work · 12 Strategy · 7 Audience strategy · 3 Web and product · 3 About the studio · 2 Editorial strategy · 2 Field notes · 2 Sustainability and funding · 2
Strategy · May 11, 2026 · Lead story

Your Website Is Your Home Base. Social Media Proved It Can't Be.

Social referral traffic has collapsed. Twitter is down 70% since 2022, Facebook is following, and the readers who do click through aren't sticking around. Here is what that means for small newsrooms right now.

By Akel Aguad·May 11, 2026·1 min read
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Social referral traffic has collapsed. Twitter is down 70% since 2022, Facebook is following, and the readers who do click through aren't sticking around. Here is what that means for small newsrooms right now.

From the lead story
Media Sustainability · May 9

Mission Doesn't Pay for Hosting

A new CNTI report confirms what most community media founders already feel: purpose is abundant, infrastructure is not. Here's what actually moves the needle.

By Akel Aguad·1 min
Editorial Strategy · May 7

Utility Content Is an Audience Strategy

The Intercept's ICE tip sheet pulled 150,000 readers and then they drove it around JFK. The stunt was clever, but the real lesson is about what utility content does to trust.

By Akel Aguad·May 7, 2026·1 min
Audience Strategy · May 7

Stress Is a Churn Driver. Your Homepage Might Be Making It Worse.

A new study confirms what community media editors already sense: local news doesn't stress people out the way national news does. The question is whether your digital presence is actually built around that difference.

By Akel Aguad·May 7, 2026·1 min