In this podcast episode, Gregor Landwehr, associate manager at Highberg and co-lead of the Drive initiative, makes a compelling case for why digital newsrooms need to adopt a "broadcast mindset" and what that shift actually looks like in practice.

Drawing on data from a collaboration of 30 publishers across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, Landwehr challenges the habit of planning content around filling slots or pages. The real opportunity lies in matching content to what audiences actually need, at the moments they need it most.

The data paints a clear picture of how user needs shift throughout the day and week. Early mornings call for depth and context. Midday audiences gravitate toward quick updates and practical "help me" content. Evenings bring demand for stories that inspire or provide a welcome distraction. These patterns extend across the week too, Mondays favour lighter content to ease users in, Friday afternoons see a spike in weekend-planning demand, and mid-week audiences tend to engage more deeply with hard news and politics.

At the heart of Landwehr's argument is habit formation. Traditional broadcasters built loyal audiences through consistency,  the 8 p.m. news existed because viewers knew exactly when and where to find it. Digital publishers face the same challenge. That doesn't mean planning for every hour of the day, but it does mean thinking carefully about audience expectations at key moments and building a reliable content pool to meet them.

The takeaway is straightforward: when data-informed planning works alongside editorial experience, newsrooms produce a broader range of topics, more consistent coverage, and stronger audience engagement over time. The tools to operationalise that approach already exist, it's a matter of putting them to work. Listen to the podcast to learn more.