For a journalist, getting the story out, accurately and on time, is what really matters. And for the people who publish The Chronicle of Higher Education and The Chronicle of Philanthropy, the process of bringing the news together and getting it out to waiting readers is made more efficient by FileMaker Pro, the award–winning database software application from FileMaker Inc.

Business Challenge

Published weekly and read by nearly half a million college administrators and faculty members around the globe, The Chronicle of Higher Education covers the academic world in depth. It's clear, concise and timely, as is The Chronicle of Philanthropy, which applies the same high standards of journalistic quality to the coverage of issues affecting non–profit organizations and foundations worldwide.

Keeping that news timely, both in print and through the papers' web editions, is a real challenge. And Matthew Bassow is up to it.

He's the database manager for both papers — but that wasn't always so. Back in 1999, Matthew was working in the Art department, helping to prepare data presentations for publication. "We needed a better way of handling 'fact files,' which are collections of data we use as the basis for stories," he recalls. "At that time, we'd get the data from a news source, and we'd basically have to handle it as text. We'd run it into Quark, and set it up there, and then use the Quark file for publication in print or on our website. The results were very static — once we had our Quark file, that was it. We couldn't easily update it or adjust it, and when it came time to do the same sort of story next year, we'd have to start from scratch. It was a very inefficient process, and we began to realize that we really needed a database."

Successful Solution

And that's when Matthew turned to FileMaker Pro. "At that time, we used Macs in the Art department, and other departments were Windows–based, so we needed database software that was cross–platform. That was the main reason we chose FileMaker, and then I began to see how easy it was to develop in the software, how quickly I could build solutions."

From that simple start in the Art department, Matthew learned that FileMaker Pro could make a difference anywhere. "FileMaker Pro just grew with us," he continues. "From that beginning we began using it in other departments, for other applications. We began using Quark plug–ins and found that it meshed nicely with that software, and we discovered it worked well with data imported from Excel."

FileMaker Pro is fast and easy to develop and that's really important in the world of journalism. With FileMaker Pro, we can develop on the run — coming up with the solutions we need without interrupting our workflow.

— Matthew Bassow, Database Manager, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inc.