NEWS module

I am running a huge project and really have a need to take the welcome message capability to the next level. I want to use a welcome screen or news module, using a wysiwig environment to achieve the following:
a) give overview/ feedback on current status of the project
b) Draw attention to important issues/aspects
c) Presentation of project reports, photos, etc.

News Module Functions/Requirements

The News Module must be able to be project specific, users specific, team specific or in general
Ability to load multiple News content/articles with publish date and time-fame
Ability to link content of the news item to other elements such as documents, activities, meetings or other news items. For example, If we publish new version of specifications, and need specific key users to download/review them.
Ability to have a wysiwig interface as well as ability to add photos/ videos
Ability to request read receipt / acknowledge
Be accessible on the default home page as well as a news page to list previous news articles (keep in mind the access level of the news items) and ability to view them.
Ability to export to PDF, email or print the news article.

I believe this will give a good start to this function. Maybe You can think of something else to make this better, but lest work on this for now.

Any feedback on this functionality?

Let me explain...
Part of the function of the news module will be to give general status report on the project. This means any one in the organization can log into the system as guest user and view the news. These users are not associated to the project.

2nd, we also are running various projects in the organization. This means the news for one project is not relevant to the next. That is why I need to ability to have the news project specific.

as for User specific/team specific: We have a few core teams (Key users that provide information for the functional specifications; Regional managers that should review the functional spec and initial sign-off, then Project steering committee for final approval) Now, I want to use the news module also to draw attention of specific information for each of these groups. For example, the key users I want to give them some general information to consider when doing functional specifications. For the Regional managers I want to remind them about their deadlines and also more information on the functional specification acceptance. And lastly, for the steering comm. I want to give them brief overview of the process and deadlines.

See these 3 kinds of information sharing by using the news module will allow me to keep track on what information was given, when and how. It will also help in the project audit process to make sure full communication audit trail. (to be honest, I have a lot of problems with users claiming they did not get their emails not got access to the documents. By using this and also the read confirmation, it will solve that problem for me as well).

The WYSIWYG editor is to allow me to prepare good looking reports/news letters. I am familiar with Joomla and Wordpress and by using the WYSIWYG content editor, one can create complete web page content. and that is the same idea I want here. That way the look and feel of the news can be in a format of a proper news letter.

We also need to make sure a news article is relevant for a specific time, so the time for publishing it should also be able. This means we want to display the information about the Functional Specifications only while we busy with that phase. Once we get to testing the news content will change. But we will want to keep tract of the old news content.

I hope this explains my need better.