Case Study: Enhancing Efficiency & Innovation at Raseef22

1. From streamlining newsroom workflows to empowered journalists

Raseef22 is an innovative independent Arabic digital media platform that blends visual storytelling with inclusive content on social, cultural, and anthropological topics previously found only in English. It set out to streamline its newsroom workflow, enhance SEO performance, and improve the management of multimedia and podcast production. By adopting the WhiteBeard News Suite, Raseef22 has significantly transformed its operations - cutting both time and costs while harnessing the power of AI to boost content quality and reach.

As Head Editor-in-Chief Ayman Sharouf put it: “Improved productivity and faster results - that’s what happened to Raseef22 after we implemented the updated CMS from WhiteBeard.”

2. A more focused, efficient, and cost-effective environment

One of the most impactful changes Raseef22 experienced after updating to the WhiteBeard News Suite was a significant boost in overall efficiency across the editorial workflow. Prior to the switch, many of the team’s processes were manual and time-consuming, often requiring several disconnected tools or internal processes. Tasks like summary drafting, headline production, and image adjustments involved multiple steps and workarounds that slowed down the publishing cycle. With the WhiteBeard News Suite, many of these actions were simplified and streamlined into a single, user-friendly interface. Automatic image sizing, alignment, and metadata handling became part of the default workflow, enabling editors to work more quickly and consistently. As a result, turnaround times for publishing content were notably reduced.

This streamlining also translated into cost efficiency. Because the CMS integrates functionalities that previously relied on external tools and services, Raseef22 was able to reduce its dependence on third-party platforms. Fewer tools meant lower expenses and less complexity, allowing the editorial team to focus on content rather than technical coordination.

A key area that benefited from this shift was search engine optimization (SEO). Before, even strong content could underperform if it wasn’t supported by effective headlines or keyword strategies. With the WhiteBeard News Suite, built-in AI now supports editors during the creation process by suggesting refined headline suggestions, trending keywords, and optimized meta descriptions.

The improvements extended beyond just writing and optimization. Image handling, once a major hassle, was also significantly upgraded. In the past, editors had to manually resize images, check for formatting inconsistencies . The new CMS introduced a centralized, searchable media library that automatically stores and organizes. Editors can now easily search for visuals using keywords that match the article’s theme, and insert them directly into the needed publication. 

This proactive approach to photo management has freed up more time for editors to focus on quality, rather than formatting. Instead of spending energy on correcting overlapping captions or sorting out duplicates, the team now operates with a more seamless and intuitive system that supports faster and more accurate visual integration.

The AI assistant also assists in content distribution and communications. It can auto-generate messages - complete with emojis - for platforms like WhatsApp or email, making it easier and faster to prepare content for distribution without having to switch between tools. This has streamlined the team's social media and outreach tasks, freeing up time for more strategic work.

Moreover, the CMS supports multilingual publishing by providing first-draft translations, particularly from Arabic to English. While the AI handles the initial translation, the editorial team always reviews and fine-tunes the content to ensure cultural and contextual accuracy. This hybrid approach enables faster bilingual content production while preserving Raseef22’s editorial integrity across languages.

Taken together, these upgrades in workflow, SEO, and media handling have allowed Raseef22’s editorial team to work in a more focused, efficient, and cost-effective environment. The CMS has not only removed friction from the daily publishing process but also empowered the team to make smarter, faster decisions with better tools at their fingertips.

“Producing podcasts used to mean extra platforms, outsourced voiceovers, and added expenses. With WhiteBeard, we’ve brought it all in-house - saving time and significantly cutting production costs.” - Ayman Sharrouf, Editor-in-Chief, Raseef22

3. Podcast Production: Raseef22 عالسمع

The production process for Raseef22’s podcast, Raseef22 عالسمع, underwent a dramatic transformation following the adoption of the WhiteBeard News Suite. Prior to this shift, producing an episode was a lengthy and costly process. It often took several weeks to go from concept to publication, with editors dealing with multiple complications along the way. Common issues included mispronunciations in voiceovers, as well as frequent delays caused by the need to coordinate with external factors in order to complete the recording and production. The high cost and time commitment placed a heavy burden on the team, limiting how often and how quickly they could release new episodes.

After integrating the updated WhiteBeard CMS, Raseef22’s podcast production process became faster, more controlled, and far more efficient. The CMS includes built-in AI tools like ChatGPT and ElevenLabs, which allowed the team to automate both the article podcast-suitable rewrite and summarization along with the actual audio generation. Editors could now generate clear, well-structured episode summaries and easily rewrite suitable scripts based on personalized prompts that they configure from the CMS itself to maintain authenticity and individual journalistic style and tone. Once finalized, the text would be fed directly into the interface, which transforms the scripts into high-quality audio. This eliminated the need to outsource voiceover work or deal with time-consuming corrections after recordings.

The benefits of this new approach were both practical and strategic. With fewer manual steps and faster revisions , Raseef22 could now produce podcast content at a pace that aligned better with their editorial rhythm. This shift didn’t just save money - it gave the team more control over the final output. If something needed to be changed, whether in tone or content, it could be reworked instantly and internally.

By centralizing all these tasks into a single, seamless workflow within WhiteBeard CMS, Raseef22 was able to modernize its podcast production and align with emerging industry standards. What was once a slow and fragmented process became a fast, reliable system that gave the team more creative freedom while keeping production costs low. The new setup not only improved efficiency, but also reinforced Raseef22’s position as a forward-thinking, tech-enabled media outlet.

4. A transformed newsroom, improved processes & enhanced outputs and reach

The WhiteBeard News Suite has fundamentally transformed Raseef22’s newsroom operations by delivering:

•  A streamlined, cost-effective workflow that reduces turnaround times.
•  Enhanced SEO capabilities that ensure every article reaches its full potential through better headlines, keywords, and metadata.
•  A reformed photo library that simplifies image management and improves the editorial process.
•  A revolutionized podcast production workflow that leverages AI to cut down production time and costs while maintaining high-quality audio output.
• A supportive AI assistant that augments journalistic creativity without replacing the human touch.

 By integrating advanced technology into daily operations, Raseef22 not only improves efficiency but also reinforces its position as an innovator in digital media while being able to expand its reach to additional channels for discussion such as podcast listeners.

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