Sector(s)
The Community Media Network is a non-profit organization founded and managed by journalist Daoud Kuttab. It was registered in 2007 with the aim of establishing and managing media and cultural projects in Jordan and the Arab world. The network operates the community radio "Radio Al-Balad" and its website "Ammannet."
Ammannet... the first Jordanian news website: It started its presence on the Internet in 2000 under the domain www.ammannet.net, becoming a leading source of information and journalistic interaction for Jordanians both inside and outside the country. This achievement elevated the status of the Community Media Network, resulting in an increased number of visitors to the website according to international standards. A survey conducted by the Independent Media Support Program in Jordan, based in Washington through IREX, indicated that Ammannet was ranked first among Jordanian news websites in 2008.
About the project
Goals
The business goals of the AmmanNet project were to establish a leading news platform that drives significant traffic and engagement through timely and relevant content. The platform sought to strengthen brand presence and credibility in the news industry, capitalize on advertising opportunities, and build a loyal user base through effective content management and social media integration.
Requirements
The AmmanNet website project required the creation of a robust and engaging news platform with the following general goals:
- Dynamic Content Delivery: The platform needed to provide timely and relevant news updates to keep users informed about local and international events.
- User Engagement: The website was to enhance user interaction and retention through intuitive navigation, multimedia content, and real-time updates.
- Multichannel Integration: Integration with social media and other channels to expand reach, engage users, and drive traffic to the site.
- Responsive Design: Ensuring the website is fully optimized for various devices and screen sizes to provide a seamless user experience across desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
- Monetization Opportunities: Incorporating features to support advertising and generate revenue through strategic placement and audience targeting.
Outcomes
The specific outcomes of the AmmanNet website project include:
- Virtual Multisites: Allow the editorial team to build subsites that are isolated for specific reports or news coverage.
- Migrate more than 20 WordPress websites into one website which minimises cost and support efforts.
- Layout Builder: A dynamic homepage featuring a grid layout that highlights top stories, breaking news, and feature articles, with a news ticker for real-time updates.
- Category Pages: Well-organized news categories such as Local News, International News, Business, Sports, and Culture, allow users to easily navigate and access specific topics.
- Multimedia Sections: Integration of video content and photo galleries in the Multimedia section, enhancing the news experience with rich media elements.
- Live Updates: A dedicated Live section or ticker providing real-time news coverage and updates on significant events.
- Search Functionality: An advanced search feature that enables users to find specific articles, topics, or multimedia content efficiently.
- Social Media Integration: Embedded social media sharing options and links to AmmanNet’s social media profiles for broader audience engagement and interaction.
- Advertising Support: Features to support advertising placements and generate revenue, including strategically positioned ad spaces and targeted advertising options.
Why Drupal was chosen
Drupal is ideal for handling both radio and news content. Its robust system facilitates the easy creation, organization, and management of various media assets, including articles, audio files, videos, and images. The Layout Builder feature allows content editors to design dynamic page layouts without coding, resulting in a customizable and visually appealing user interface for the radio and news portal. Drupal's extensibility supports seamless integration with streaming services, enabling live audio and video streaming, which enhances real-time access to media and site interactivity. Additionally, the multisite functionality enables Ammannet to create and manage separate portals for each program, each with its unique design and branding, all from a single Drupal installation. This approach not only reduces management overhead and costs but also provides a scalable solution for future expansion and new portals.
Technical Specifications
Drupal version:
Key modules/theme/distribution used:
