Part 1: Editorial Guidelines for Griot News Website
1. Voice and Tone
Our voice is our handshake with the reader. We aim to sound like a knowledgeable, trusted peer who has already done the heavy lifting of sorting through the data.
- Authoritative but Accessible: Use clean, professional language, but skip the dense textbook jargon. If a technical term is required, define it inline immediately (e.g., “liquidity (how easily assets can be turned into cash)”).
- Objective and Grounded: Avoid sensationalism, excessive exclamation points, and emotionally charged adverbs. Let the data and the facts do the talking.
- High-Signal, Low-Noise: Every sentence must earn its place. Respect the reader's time by getting straight to the point.
2. Formatting & Readability Standards
Modern readers scan content before they read it. If a page looks like a massive wall of text, they will bounce.
- Paragraph Length: Keep paragraphs short—ideally between 2 and 4 sentences.
- Scannable Structure: Use descriptive H2 and H3 headings to break up major ideas. Use bullet points for lists, data sets, or takeaways.
- The "So What?" Rule: Every analysis piece must feature a prominent blockquote or summary box near the top explaining the real-world impact of the story on the reader.
3. SEO & Sourcing Best Practices
- Headlines: Keep titles under 60 characters so they don't get cut off in search engine results. Use active verbs and include the primary target keyword naturally.
- Hyperlinking: Always hyperlink directly to the primary source of data (e.g., official government reports, original company announcements, or academic studies). Do not link to third-party blog summaries if you can avoid it.
- Image Alt Text: Every visual must include descriptive, keyword-conscious alternative text (alt text) for accessibility and image search optimization.
Part 2: Weekly Content Calendar Framework
To maintain a steady pulse without burning out your editorial team, use this structured weekly cadence. It ensures all four core pillars are covered systematically.
| Day | Focus Pillar | Content Format | Target Angle & Objective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Global Affairs | The Week Ahead Brief | A crisp, bulleted look at the top 5 global or regional events shifting the news cycle this week. |
| Weekly | Digital Economy | Fintech & Market Deep-Dive | Tracking local/global digital finance shifts, startup funding rounds, or regulatory changes. |
| Weekly | Tech & Innovation | Emerging Tech Spotlight | Explaining practical applications of a new technology (e.g., enterprise AI tools, cloud infrastructure updates). |
| Weekly | Insightful Analysis | The "Why It Matters" Feature | Taking a complex economic or political event from earlier in the week and breaking down its long-term impact. |
| Weekly | Digital Economy | Week-in-Review Round-up | A fast-paced, high-level summary of the major shifts in tech, business, and finance for busy professionals. |
| Weekend | Evergreen Content | Long-form Guide / Strategy | Deep, timeless resources, entrepreneurial insights, or deep-dive ecosystem overviews that rank well over time. |
Part 3: Operational Checklist for Every Article
Before hitting the "Publish" button in your CMS, verify that the article clears these five hurdles:
- Fact-Check Check: Are all numbers, names, and dates verified against an authoritative source?
- Link Verification: Do all outgoing links open smoothly in a new tab, and do they point to the original source material?
- Formatting Check: Are there any blocks of text longer than 5 lines that need to be broken up or turned into bullets?
- SEO Check: Is the meta description written (under 155 characters) and does it contain the primary keyword?
- Headline Test: Is the title clear and informative, or is it resorting to cheap clickbait? (If it sounds like “You won't believe what happened next,” rewrite it).
