More on the conference, including summaries of presentations,  can be found at http://www.wan-press.org/article15380.html

The Shaping the Future of the Newspaper project identifies, analyses and publicises all important breakthroughs and opportunities that can benefit newspapers all over the world. SFN provides WAN members and subscribers with Strategy Reports on these developments, a library of case studies and business ideas, and a wealth of other vital information for all those who need to follow press industry trends. More on the project and on WAN membership can be found at http://www.futureofthenewspaper.com

Here are some excerpts from "Envisioning the Newspaper 2020," the first of seven SFN Strategy Reports for WAN members to be published in 2007 and 2008:

"Regardless of the name of the service, the core competency of news and newspaper
publishers of the future will consist of generating content from highly efficient networks, technically process and manage them via networks and continuously or at regular intervals disseminate these contents through a
multitude of channels. The recipients of the content will increasingly want to decide for themselves which channel they want to use at which time – letters and images on conventional or electronic paper, the Internet, mobile phones or a combination of various information carriers.” Gerd Finkbeiner, Chairman, Man Roland, Germany

"As digital media takes an increasing hold on the news industry, audiences, in turn, will demand news reporting in which they can place the trust and confidence once reserved primarily for newspapers. Collaborative filtering tools and trust metrics will help to achieve those ends." Craig Newmark, founder of Craiglist.org, USA

"Newspaper companies will look very different in 2020. There are many reasons to be confident that our industry has the vision, the energy and the fundamental business strengths to emerge by 2020 as a multi-media communications business with a wider market to operate in than it had before
2007." Chris Bisco, Managing Director, Publishing Division, CN Group, United Kingdom

"Newspapers are going to survive. Will we be doing things the way we’ve always done them? Absolutely not. In the United States, there are two types of newspaper publishers — those who think the most important part of the word newspaper is 'news' and those who think the most important part of that word is 'paper.' ...We can’t be afraid of reaching our audience in new ways. It will be one of the keys to our industry’s successful future." Rob Curly, Vice President for Product Development, Washington Post/Newsweek
Interactive, USA

More excerpts from "Envisioning the Newspaper 2020 can be found at
http://www.wan-press.org/article15384.html