16 July 2025

How CMS MAG is putting content management at the heart of publishing

Founded by a journalist with a passion for tech, CMS Mag is on a mission to help publishers take ownership of their tools. As the media-tech conversation evolves, particularly with the rise of AI, founder Jorge Mediavilla is helping newsrooms find the right CMS, navigate migration, and stay ahead of the curve.

When CMS Mag launched in 2018, it started as a side project, a way for Jorge Mediavilla, a journalist with a strong interest in technology, to explore a growing passion for content management systems (CMSs). Today, it has become something much bigger: a thriving business and knowledge hub shaping how publishers think about the tools that power their websites.

“There have been times when technological advances have interested me even more than those related to content,” says Jorge, who left a senior role at Diario AS, part of the PRISA group, in 2023 to focus on CMS Mag full time. “I’m excited by the way CMSs came to be and how they’ve evolved. Combined with artificial intelligence, they allow small teams of journalists with little technical knowledge to make a real difference and be truly innovative.”

At the core of CMS Mag is a belief that content management systems shouldn’t be the domain of engineers alone — they should belong to journalists too. “My mission is to promote knowledge around CMSs so that journalists see them as their own tool, something genuinely theirs. I don’t expect to pass on my passion for CMSs, but I hope to at least increase journalists’ interest in them,” says Jorge.

That mission is expanding beyond the original Spanish-language site into other countries. In the last year alone, Jorge has launched a CMS-focused book, introduced an AI-powered GPT tool to assist with migrations, and taught his first online Master’s programme. September 2025 will also see the first iteration of AInnovación – an event in Madrid focused on the intersection of CMSs and artificial intelligence.

Matching CMS to publisher

Much of the day-to-day work at CMS Mag now centres on CMS migration consultancy, helping publishers of all sizes navigate one of the most complex and mission-critical tech decisions they face.

“There’s no single ‘best’ CMS… But there is a right CMS for each newsroom,” Jorge says. “My process starts with an internal study of the media outlet, then an external market review. Size, workflow, budget, and editorial culture all matter. And often, what I would recommend and what the newsroom ends up choosing are different.”

What sets CMS Mag apart is its detailed market knowledge, not just of systems, but of the people behind them. “A big part of the value I bring is knowing whether the provider understands the complexity of the publishing industry, and whether they’ll be a true ‘success partner’, rather than just another vendor,” Jorge says.

Relationships between CMS providers and publishers, he says, can often be strained. “Journalism is the realm of the here and now,” Jorge says. “Newsrooms want quick fixes or to implement new ideas overnight. Personally, I think that’s why every newsroom should have a product manager, someone to help build the relationship into something long-lasting and fruitful – and avoid migration disasters that can cost huge audiences.”

AI as co-pilot – not autopilot

It’s impossible to talk about CMSs today without talking about AI. “We’re at a turning point,” says Jorge. “AI is more than a writing assistant – it can and should support SEO, image generation, distribution, monetisation, fact-checking, and more.”

Jorge recently ran a seminar outlining a ten-point guide to responsible AI integration. Key takeaways? Keep data secure, treat AI as a co-pilot, and use multiple LLMs to avoid over-reliance on any one platform. Most crucially, keep AI outside the publishing workflow.

“I always recommend that any AI-generated content still requires a manual step from the journalist – even if it’s just copy-pasting it. This way, we avoid publishing AI-generated text that, without proper supervision, could cause major reputational problems for the media outlet. It also prevents outages from stalling the entire CMS.”

The future is already here, with tools that let journalists spin up simple online newspapers via chat. “It’s becoming child’s play to publish. And with independent AI agents, you’ll soon be able to assign specific tasks within the CMS, such as reviewing archives and suggesting SEO improvements or corrections, to virtual assistants.”

But this ease comes with a warning. “AI is only as good as the data it is provided with. There needs to be some kind of economic agreement on both sides, or the open web as we know it today will disappear, and what comes after will be more closed and restrictive.”

So what should publishers look for in a CMS in 2025 and beyond? 

“It is common for journalists to care most about the editing experience, and of course Google performance is critical. But the future of media will continue to depend on social networks, and so CMSs will also need to help publishers manage first-party data, paywalls, monetisation, and security. They’ll become increasingly modular, usable, and sophisticated.”

For Jorge, the future lies in pay-per-scan of information. “Good content is expensive,” he says. 

A global stage for Spanish innovation

This year’s FIPP World Media Congress in Madrid marks the organisation’s 100th anniversary – and Jorge sees it as a significant moment for Spain’s publishing industry.

“I’m truly happy Spain is hosting such a magnificent and unique event,” he says. “It shows we’re more than just a great holiday destination – but are also home to an increasingly vibrant digital scene.”

With startups flourishing not just in Madrid and Barcelona, but in emerging hubs like Málaga and Valencia, the timing couldn’t be better. “We’ll welcome visitors with open arms, as we always do, and I hope it’s a great success for everyone.”

Discover AInnovación 2025

AInnovación 2025 is set to be Spain’s leading event for AI, CMS, and digital experience platforms (DXPs). Taking place in Madrid on 24th September, it will showcase how the world’s top CMS and DXP providers are using AI to empower newsrooms, brands, and content creators. After attracting over 50 corporations and 11 CMS companies in 2024, this year’s event promises even bigger insights and networking opportunities. The event will be run in Spanish, with some presentations in English. Learn more at mejorcms.com/cmsmagcon-2025.