Template selector

Match projects to the correct template category. Don't guess—use the decision tree.

Quick reference

Project type	Template category
Newsroom AI tool, fact-checker	editorial-tool
Conference, summit, workshop	event-website
Newsletter, podcast, blog	publication
Investigation, data journalism	research-project
CMS workflow, syndication	content-pipeline
Historical collection, archive	digital-archive

Decision tree

Is it for journalism/publishing?
├── Yes →
│   ├── Has specific end date/event? → event-website
│   ├── Ongoing content series? → publication
│   ├── Historical/preservation? → digital-archive
│   ├── Newsroom tool/AI? → editorial-tool
│   ├── CMS/automation? → content-pipeline
│   └── Investigation with scope? → research-project
│
└── No (general software) →
    Use general template or another collection

Detailed category descriptions

editorial-tool

Use when: Building newsroom tools, writing assistants, fact-checkers, AI-powered research tools, moderation systems, workflow automation for journalists

Not for: Generic productivity tools, non-journalism software

Signs it's an editorial tool:

Primary users are journalists, editors, or producers
Helps with a specific editorial workflow step
Requires accuracy/trust for publication decisions

event-website

Use when: Building sites for conferences, summits, workshops, or events with specific dates

Not for: Ongoing content, organization websites without events, event management software (that's editorial-tool)

Signs it's an event website:

Has a specific event date (or date range)
Registration/attendance is involved
Content includes speakers, schedule, venue info

publication

Use when: Building newsletters, podcasts, blogs, magazines, or ongoing content series with regular publishing schedule

Not for: One-off articles, static content sites, CMSes that power publications (that's editorial-tool)

Signs it's a publication:

Regular publishing cadence (daily, weekly, monthly)
Growing subscriber/reader base
Consistent voice and format

research-project

Use when: Building investigative journalism projects, data journalism, analysis with defined scope and end date

Not for: Ongoing research operations, general data analysis, tools that support research (that's editorial-tool)

Signs it's a research project:

Answers a specific question or hypothesis
Has a defined end point (publication date)
Involves data collection, analysis, and findings

content-pipeline

Use when: Building CMS workflows, publishing automation, content syndication systems, feed aggregators, cross-posting tools

Not for: Manual publishing workflows, single-site content management, publications themselves

Signs it's a content pipeline:

Automates content movement between systems
Transforms content formats
Handles scheduling and distribution

digital-archive

Use when: Building historical collections, preservation projects, research databases, document repositories

Not for: Active news sites, CMS platforms, search engines

Signs it's a digital archive:

Primary focus is preservation
Collection has defined scope (time period, topic)
Users are researchers, historians, or the public seeking historical content

Common mistakes

Project	Wrong choice	Right choice	Why
Newsletter dashboard	editorial-tool	publication	It's about the publication, not the tech
AI fact-checker	research-project	editorial-tool	It's a tool, not a one-off investigation
Event registration system	event-website	editorial-tool	It's a tool that serves events
Podcast website	content-pipeline	publication	It's a publication, not automation
Document search tool	digital-archive	editorial-tool	It's a tool, not the archive itself
FOIA tracking system	research-project	editorial-tool	It's a tool that supports research

The litmus test

If you're still unsure, ask:

Is this a tool that helps journalists do X, or is this X itself?
- Tool → editorial-tool
- The thing itself → other categories
Does it have a specific end date?
- Yes, event dates → event-website
- Yes, publication date → research-project
- No, ongoing → publication, content-pipeline, or digital-archive
Is preservation the primary goal?
- Yes → digital-archive
- No → other categories

Using templates

For project memory (CLAUDE.md)

Identify project category using decision tree above
Copy appropriate template from project-memory/templates/
Fill in bracketed placeholders with your specifics
Delete sections that don't apply
Add project-specific gotchas as you discover them

For retrospectives (LESSONS.md)

Identify project category
Copy appropriate template from project-retrospective/templates/
Fill in as the project progresses or at completion
Be specific about failures—that's the valuable part

Template locations

claude-skills-journalism/
├── project-memory/templates/
│   ├── editorial-tool.md
│   ├── event-website.md
│   ├── publication.md
│   ├── research-project.md
│   ├── content-pipeline.md
│   └── digital-archive.md
│
└── project-retrospective/templates/
    ├── editorial-tool.md
    ├── event.md
    ├── publication.md
    └── research-project.md

Pick the specific template that fits. "General" is a last resort.

template-selector