In many countries the average age of newspaper readers is over 50. Younger generations are not replacing older readers. Instead they are accustomed to getting their news from free papers and free Internet sites, essentially making them the "free generation."
What can newspapers do to adapt to the changing habits of youth? The 13th World Editors Forum being held in Moscow from June 4-7 will explore new strategies that newspapers can use in connecting with the "free generation."
The Internet has arguably been the biggest boon to newshounds since the first newshound scanned his first headline. The nearly infinite amount of content available at the click of a mouse has liberated the reader, creating a freedom that he fears could be taken away by the very newspapers that feed his obsession. At the same time, newspapers are having trouble surviving on the very tool their readers now take for granted. Below are some ideas of how newspapers can keep their readers happy while simultaneously earning revenue.
Norwegian publishing house Schibsted ASA has bought 99.9% of the free Lithuanian daily paper 15min for an undisclosed sum. 15min is published five days a week and has a circulation of 85,000 after its release on September 1 last year.
In Lithuania, Schibsted already holds a 67% stake in the magazine publishing group Zurnalu Leidybine Grupe, and a 51% stake in the LT newspaper. Schibsted also recently purchased a Russian community newspaper (see former
posting).
Source:
Finanz Nachricten
Newspaper The Hindu is planning to launch an SMS service that sends news updates to mobile phones. The Hindu will work with IMImobile, who provides content services and mobile value-added services, allowing users to get news, sports, entertainment, poll updates, and contests on their mobile phone.
Counter to the recent trend of turning broadsheet newspapers to tabloid size papers, the India Today Group is planning to transform its afternoon tabloid into a morning broadsheet. The New Delhi tabloid “Today” will also have more pages as the paper plans to also increase the number of page from 16 to 20.
The newspaper is set to hit the stands around November of this year. According to an informed industry source, the group is planning to invest around Rs 100-150 crore in the makeover.
Source:
Agencyfaqs [Through the
Ifra Executive News Service]
Backed by the American Press Institute, a new project titled Newspaper Next has selected six newspapers to aid and use as “living laboratories to demonstrate the innovation potential that exists among newspaper companies,” said Stephen Gray, managing director of Newspaper Next.
The recent purchase of MySpace by News Corp. has yet to show data proving Murdoch’s purchase will make a killing on the acquisition but MySpace is still exploding in popularity.
The Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly met in Brussels to approve a resolution, which "condemned the offence" caused by the Danish cartoons of the prophet Mohammed as well "as the violence which their publication provoked."
Designed to save $17 million dollars a year starting in 2006, the Wall Street Journals change from a broadsheet to a more compact tabloid format has not met its readers approval. Dow Jones and Co. Inc plans to “retool” its Wall Street Journal Asian and European newspaper editions, two editions struggling to stay afloat.
The Spanish free newspaper market is one of the most successful in the world. Almost half of the papers distributed in the country are free, a free paper tops the circulation charts, and three of the top four general interest newspapers do not have a cover price.
Juan Varela at
Periodistas 21 interviewed editors-in-chief from 2 of the top free papers as well as one from a new free publication which added a twist to its business model with a daily evening paper.
After months of speculation Austrian publisher Wolfgang Fellner finally announced on Tuesday (28.3.06) that its new innovative newspaper would launch in September. The new national newspaper called Österreich (=Austria) will be in a 251x340 mm tabloid format, somewhat higher than the tabloids usually are in Austria, e.g. 20% higher than competitor Kronenzeitung. Fellner also told that USA Today served as an example for the new paper.
Press group HFM and Sporever, a sports news company most notably online, have announced the creation of a collective company to develop audiovisual services for mobile phones.
In a speech by media commentator and former editor of The Daily Mirror Roy Greenslade at The Newspaper Society's CEP 2006, he outlined his beliefs of how newspapers should adapt to the media revolution that is putting print in jeopardy.
In news not directly related to the world of the press, but rather to the aftermath of the Mohammed cartoon clash (for full coverage see previous postings in sources), Muslims in Egypt and elsewhere are opposed to plans for a possible first ever film about Jesus Christ in Arabic.
Abdel Moti Bayumi of Egypt's Al Azhar Academy of Islamic Studies argues that it is forbidden to portray prophets and that for this reason the film could only be made if it did not portray the image os Jesus Christ.
Freelance journalist working for the Christian Science Monitor Jill Carroll has been freed by her Iraqi captors. Kidnapped on January 7, Carroll was scheduled to be executed on February 26 if the captors demands were not met. There had been no word from or about her until today when she was released after almost three months.
Source: New York Times
While most newspapers are seeing losses in readership and advertising, ethnic newspapers are flourishing all over the world. When Vietnamese-language paper Viet Mercury, printed by the Mercury News, stopped printing in November, it left a market unsatisfied. Now three new Vietnamese-language papers and an online news outlet are trying to fill to void left by the Viet Mercury.
Hearst, in a deal with The Mobile Media Company, will provide mobile content to young female readers of the current issues of Cosmopolitan, CosmoGirl!, and Seventeen magazines. Selling ringtones, cell phone wallpapers and daily horoscopes via text message, this portal-style presence brings the Hearst brand one step further into the hands of its readers.
