Mountain Eagle White Paper

Executive Summary

What This Platform Is

The Mountain Eagle is a unified operating platform for local journalism, community participation, advertising, and regional commerce. Instead of running these as disconnected systems, the platform links them into one accountable workflow from first visit through ongoing membership.

This paper explains how those workflows run, what users can do at each stage, and how the organization keeps the service reliable day to day.

Core Model

How Access Progresses

The platform uses role-based controls so each user sees tools appropriate to their role while staff retain oversight of publishing, support, and operations.

Onboarding Workflow

How New Users Become Active

1. User chooses an onboarding path: free member, paid subscriber, contributor path (after subscription), or advertiser path.
2. User submits signup details and receives a verification code or verification link.
3. Verification confirms account ownership and activates the account.
4. The user is routed to dashboard tools aligned with account type and permissions.
5. If payment is required (subscriber/patron plans), billing steps are completed in the same guided flow.

For continuity users (for example, legacy subscribers), invitation and claim flows bridge existing relationships into active platform accounts.

Editorial Workflow

How Content Moves from Draft to Publication

1. Contributor or staff member creates an article, event, or discussion entry.
2. The item enters review based on role and moderation rules.
3. Editors can revise, approve, publish, or hold items in queue.
4. Published items appear in relevant channels (news, events, forums, dashboards).
5. Reader interaction is captured through reactions, replies, and participation metrics.

This creates a reliable editorial pipeline with clear accountability for who submitted, reviewed, and published content.

Advertising Workflow

How Businesses Run Campaigns

1. Business reviews ad offerings and chooses self-service signup or sales-assisted intake.
2. Account is created and assigned to a sales manager for follow-up and continuity.
3. Ad specs, creative assets, and schedule are gathered and confirmed.
4. Campaign proceeds through approval and delivery checkpoints.
5. Companion digital placement and directory visibility extend print campaign reach.

The key is workflow continuity: no lost handoffs between inquiry, account creation, scheduling, and fulfillment.

Marketplace Workflow

How Local Commerce Is Managed

1. Sellers publish listings with clear product information and pricing.
2. Members browse, add to cart, and check out through the marketplace flow.
3. Orders move through fulfillment states visible to staff and participating sellers.
4. Tax and payment handling are integrated into the transaction lifecycle.
5. Commerce activity is surfaced in reporting for operational and financial review.

This keeps regional buying visible and practical while lowering operational burden on small local sellers.

Community Experience

How Members Participate Day to Day

• Follow local stories and discussions that matter to their counties and towns.
• Use reactions and comments to provide feedback and join conversation.
• RSVP to events and track community activity through calendar and updates.
• Message other members directly or in groups for practical local coordination.

The design goal is to keep participation constructive, local, and tied to real community context.

Support and Service

How Issues Are Handled

1. Users submit inquiries and support requests through built-in intake forms.
2. Staff triage requests into actionable queues.
3. Work is assigned, tracked, and followed through to closure.
4. When needed, inquiries can be converted into managed leads for sales follow-up.
5. Status visibility reduces duplicate effort and improves response consistency.

Reliability and Trust

How the Platform Stays Operational

• System health checks monitor peers, data services, and delivery services.
• Operational alerts notify the appropriate internal team roles.
• Backup, synchronization, and deployment routines reduce service risk.
• Email and system activity are logged for diagnosis and accountability.
• Cross-server visibility helps teams identify and resolve issues faster.

For users, this appears as a stable experience. For staff, it provides the evidence needed to troubleshoot quickly and improve continuously.

Strategic Direction

What Comes Next

• Improve onboarding conversion and reduce drop-off points.
• Expand tools for advertisers, sellers, and subscription growth.
• Enhance editorial and operations analytics for faster decision-making.
• Continue building Mountain Eagle as durable regional information infrastructure.