Tehelka is an Indian English-language weekly news magazine whose motto is "free, fair, fearless." It focuses on investigative journalism in the public interest: stories that can make a difference. The
Editors Weblog spoke to founder and editor-in-chief
Tarun Tejpal and
Shoma Chaudhury, executive editor and one of the original Tehelka team, about the challenges that the news magazine faces within the Indian media landscape.
Humble beginnings
Tehelka began in an online-only form in 2000 with $750,000 of investment and Tejpal's desire to "bring back the hard journalism of the 1980s," which he said had been far more combative and adversarial than the softer journalism of the 1990s. Tejpal also hoped that the publication would be a "place for refined and complex writing," but that its journalists would retain "the ability to dirty our hands."
The power of print
Tejpal started Tehelka as an online-only news magazine because the dot.com boom seemed to offer great potential. However, after the website was forced to close due to a barrage of legal action after breaking what Tejpal described as "the biggest story in Indian journalism," Operation West End, Tejpal decided that the web was not the best medium for his publication. "It was not a weapon for battle in India," he said. "I realised if I had had a printed publication, even one with a small circulation, most of what was done to us would not have happened."
So when it came back in 2004, Tehelka appeared as a weekly news magazine. Tejpal had believed it was imperative that Tehelka did make a return: "if it didn't, it would send out a terrible message: if you take on power, you will be rendered extinct." But by making a new start, the message became "if you do the right thing, you might pay the price, but you could still win in the end."
Faced by a lack of investment, Tejpal travelled and addressed gatherings, and managed to persuade 15,000 Indians to write out cheques for advance subscriptions of Tehelka, stressing the importance of the journalism that the title had produced. The first edition of the magazine was launched with this money.
More than just a magazine
Some of Tehelka's 'sting' methods may be controversial, but it is clear that to its staff, the publication is an entity striving for justice that plays a fundamental role in society. "It has sort of acquired a character of its own in the Indian landscape," Chaudhury said, and added how heartening it is to meet people who equate Tehelka with "probity and uprightness and integrity and courage. There comes a kind of covenant that you have to keep."
Chaudhury explained how the experience of being shut down was "very important" for her and how she thought that the magazine shifted in its goals: from being adversarial to looking at any kind of public interest story: "covering the stories of the dispossessed and bringing these to the readership of the rich and powerful." The magazine looks at areas of the country that other urban journalists do not usually address, she said. Tejpal stressed the important he puts on not trying to simplify complex issues, but to respect their complexity.
Operation West End was a sting investigation into corruption in defence procurement, targeting several political figures who were then members of the ruling coalition. Tehelka reporters masqueraded as arms dealers and taped senior politicians and army officers accepting bribes to approve arms deals. "We became famous beyond all that was due to us," Tejpal said. "For the next three years we just combatted the state's onslaught."
Chaudhury highlighted a couple of important issues that Tehelka has since sought to address. One was
exposing alleged state collusion in the Gujurat riots of 2002. "The immediate aftermath of that story was disappointing," Chaudhury said: "it was such a political hot potato that nobody wanted to touch it." But Tehelka's recordings made during their investigation have become part of the official investigation into the issue, and the story "has had a huge impact," she added.
Another story covered the government's plan to launch an operation to tackle Maoist influence in some areas of the country. Feeling that this was not getting enough attention and had the potential to cause civil war, Chaudhury wrote
an article entitled "weapons of mass destruction," in which she argued that this operation was not the right way to address the problem. The government has now "back-peddled," she said.
Tehelka now has about 35 journalists, "a small but motivated team," Tejpal said. The journalists only produce original journalism.
The language question
India is a country of multiple languages and dialects, which raises
different challenges for the media. English is spoken and read only by a small percentage of the
population. For a publication such as Tehelka, which is so firmly committed to spreading awareness of its public
interest journalism, this could appear to be a frustrating limitation. However,
as Tejpal said, in such a vast country, even a million copies would be a drop
in the ocean, and "the real job of journalism in India is to impact those who
take decisions for millions of people: the people who wield political power, or
corporate power." And for this, English is the most appropriate language.
A fortnightly Hindi edition of the magazine does also exist, including
about 50% of the same content as the English edition, the other half being original.
Half a dozen journalists make up its staff.
The pricing question
Tejpal described the low pricing of publications in India as "an Indian malady" as it has meant that proprietors have become "entirely dependent on advertising" and subsequently, "the reader gets the journalism that that advertiser wants, not that that the journalist wants." The business model "is badly skewed," he added. Chaudhury was equally vehement that current prices were unfeasible, pointing out that many people would spend far more on a bag of crisps than on a newspaper or magazine. The Times of India, for example, costs 2 rupees (€0.02) and Tehelka, though expensive by comparison at 15 rupees (€0.22) still does not cover its costs with its cover price.
Chaudhury said that it is impossible for one publication to tackle this problem alone, but she believes that if five or six powerful proprietors got together and decided to change the pricing strategy then they could make a difference. She is convinced that publishers need to free themselves from the stranglehold of advertising by generating enough income from their cover price to allow them to break even. "Advertising should be used to make a profit but not to survive," she stressed, "the entire construct of this business is wrong."
Hope for the future
Having recently received some investment that should mean that the publication is here to stay, at least for now, Tejpal hopes that Tehelka will be able to move beyond its struggle to survive, and start to grow. "We have a very very big reputation, we want to physically acquire a size that matches the reputation," he said. "We would like to have a much stronger web operation, some sort of a TV presence and even expand a little in the print space."
"I hope that the struggle for resources is behind us," he said, "it's been a tough nine years."
Chaudhury also holds much hope for the publication, taking into account the fact that "the idea of Tehelka exists outside me or Tarun or the others... it has sort of acquired a character of its own in the Indian landscape." She has hope that India's troubles will force other journalism "back to doing what it should be doing" and believes that the younger generation is likely to do this better.
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2010/02/scotland_edinburgh_herald_post_relaunche.php&bodytext= <form mt:asset-id="5672" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;" contenteditable="false"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/edinburgh_castle1.JPG"><img alt="edinburgh_castle1.JPG" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2010/02/edinburgh_castle1-thumb-175x193-5672.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="193" width="175" /></a></form>The free weekly newspaper in Edinburgh will relaunch next week with a greater focus on shopping and local listings, <a href="http://www.allmediascotland.com/press_news/24437/herald-amp;-post-to-be-relaunched"><i>All Media Scotland</i> reports</a>.
<br /><br />The new-look <i>Edinburgh Herald & Post</i>, produced by <i>The Scotsman</i>'s publishers, is expected to focus on the shopping and services sector in the city with consumer news and features. It will also include local listings and a picture gallery to focus on community events. The newspaper will be distributed free to households across Edinburgh from Thursday. <br />
&title=Scotland: <i>Edinburgh Herald & Post</i> relaunches){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2010/02/freesheet_london_weekly_is_here.php&bodytext=<form contenteditable="false" mt:asset-id="5640" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/londonweeklyissue1.jpg"><img alt="londonweeklyissue1.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2010/02/londonweeklyissue1-thumb-200x120-5640.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="120" width="200" /></a></form>Following a week of much <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2010/02/freesheet_launch_all_quiet_on_the_london.php">speculation over whether the new London freesheet existed</a>, and if so, if it would launch at all, the <i>London Weekly</i> is finally here, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2010/feb/05/pressandpublishing">says <i>Guardian</i></a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2009/12/the_london_weekly_will_it_work.php">The launch of the new freesheet was announced in November of last year</a>, with its website opening in December. Executives at the <b>Global Publishing Group</b>, the company responsible for the publication, initially announced the freesheet would launch on February 1st, but later <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2010/01/new_london_freesheet_announces_launch_da.php">pushed back the start date to February 5th</a>.<br />&title=Freesheet <i>London Weekly</i> is here){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2010/02/freesheet_launch_all_quiet_on_the_london.php&bodytext=<form contenteditable="false" mt:asset-id="5575" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/LondonWeekly350.jpg"><img alt="LondonWeekly350.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2010/02/LondonWeekly350-thumb-200x161-5575.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="145" width="177" /></a></form>Back in <b>November</b> the newspaper rumour mill whispered word of an all-new freesheet to grace the streets of the capital, <i>The London Weekly</i>. <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2009/12/update_london_weekly_to_launch_feb_1.php">By <b>December</b>, marketing manager <b>Paul Morris</b> announced a launch date of the 1 <b>February</b> and its partnership website went live.</a><br /><br />Despite a rather unpolished online offering (from a company that claims to have £10.5 million in the kitty), displaying few regular news updates written by just two users and registered from a <b>German</b> server, <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2010/01/new_london_freesheet_announces_launch_da.php">Morris last week maintained that the 250,000 copies of the freesheet would be handed out every<b> Friday</b> and <b>Saturday </b>- although the start date would now be delayed until the 5 February.</a><br /><br />&title=Freesheet launch: All quiet on the <i>London Weekly</i> front){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/newsrooms_and_journalism/2010/02/former_editor_takes_on_birmingham_post_w.php&bodytext=<form contenteditable="false" mt:asset-id="5569" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/businessdesk.jpg"><img alt="businessdesk.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2010/02/businessdesk-thumb-200x100-5569.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="100" width="200" /></a></form>This week, independent regional business news website, <a href="www.thebusinessdesk.com"><i>TheBusinessDesk</i></a>, launched a third regional edition in Birmingham today with <b>Marc Reeves</b> as its new editor, <a href="http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=44980&c=1"><i>Press Gazette</i> reports</a>.<br /><br />Reeves, the former editor of the business and public affairs daily, the <i>Birmingham Post</i>, left the newspaper in January after it was turned into a weekly. His new position will place him in direct competition with his old paper.<br /> &title=Former editor takes on <i>Birmingham Post</i> with web launch){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2010/02/in_a_time_where_newspapers.php&bodytext=<form contenteditable="false" mt:asset-id="3326" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/gannett.jpg"><img alt="gannett.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2009/07/gannett-thumb-200x218-3326.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="218" width="200" /></a></form>In a time where newspapers seem to be losing more and more revenue, figures from <b>Gannett Co. Inc.</b>'s fourth quarter released today, showed potential positive results for the months ahead. <br /><br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100201-708953.html">According to <i>The Wall Street Journal</i></a>, Gannett swung to a profit in the fourth quarter following $5.6 billion in prior-year write-downs. Lower declines in advertising sales combined with much lower expenses helped the newspaper publisher show improvement. <br /><br /> &title=<b>Gannett</b> sees profits and circulation increase in 4Q){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2010/01/new_london_freesheet_announces_launch_da.php&bodytext=<form contenteditable="false" mt:asset-id="5489" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/The-London-Weekly-website-001.jpg"><img alt="The-London-Weekly-website-001.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2010/01/The-London-Weekly-website-001-thumb-200x120-5489.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="120" width="200" /></a></form><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2009/12/the_london_weekly_will_it_work.php">The launch of a new London freesheet, <i>the London Weekly</i>, was announced in November of last year, with its website going live on 20 December. </a>Executives at the <b>Global Publishing Group</b>, the company behind the title, have now confirmed an official launch date of 5 February for the paper itself, the Guardian has reported.<br /><br />The London Weekly hopes to fill the gap left by the closure of the capital's previous freesheets, <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2009/08/news_corps_the_london_paper_to_close_nex.php"><i>the London Paper</i></a> and <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2009/11/london_lites_last_day.php"><i>the London Lite</i></a>, with a proposed distribution of 250,000 copies every Friday and Saturday.&title=New London freesheet announces launch date ){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/newsrooms_and_journalism/2010/01/the_texas_tribune_where_the_moneys_comin.php&bodytext= <form mt:asset-id="5476" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;" contenteditable="false"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/texas-tribune2.jpg"><img alt="texas-tribune2.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2010/01/texas-tribune2-thumb-200x246-5476.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="246" width="200" /></a></form>How do non-profit news organisations pay their bills? <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/analysis/2009/11/the_texas_tribune_a_case_study_on_local.php"><i>The Texas Tribune</i></a> had a fundraising goal for 2009 of $3.5 million, and managed to end the year with close to $4 million. <a href="http://www.texastribune.org/stories/2010/jan/25/note-chairman/">In a note on the Tribune's website</a>, chairman <b>John Thornton</b> has explained where the money is coming from.
<br /><br />First, it's helpful if the co-founder has deep pockets, or if someone else who does is prepared to chip in. Thornton and his wife contributed $1 million to the Tribune, and financier <b>T. Boone Pickens</b> has donated $150,000. Foundations have also helped out to the tune of around $1.1 million, including a total of <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2009/10/texas_tribune_receives_750000_in_funds.php">$750,000 in grants</a> from the <b>Houston Endowment</b> and the <b>John S. and James L. Knight Foundation</b>.
<br />&title=<i>The Texas Tribune</i>: where the money's coming from){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/web_20/2010/01/scotland_new_online_newspaper_launches.php&bodytext= <form mt:asset-id="5440" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;" contenteditable="false"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/Caledonian-Mercury-screen-001.jpg"><img alt="Caledonian-Mercury-screen-001.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2010/01/Caledonian-Mercury-screen-001-thumb-200x120-5440.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="120" width="200" /></a></form>A new web-only daily newspaper has launched in Scotland, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jan/25/caledonian-mercury-scottish-press"><i>The Guardian</i> reports</a>, after <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/multimedia/2010/01/scotland_newspaper_launch.php">being expected for some weeks</a>.
<br /><br />Called the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jan/25/caledonian-mercury-scottish-press"><i>Caledonian Mercury</i></a>, the paper takes its name from one of Scotland's first news journals. It is edited and largely written by former staff from <i>The Scotsman</i> who departed after deep budget cuts at the paper. They will work as freelancers, and will be paid partly according to the "value" of their copy to readers and advertisers. How this will work is not yet clear.
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&title=Scotland: new online newspaper launches ){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2010/01/egypt_experiencing_a_seismic_media_evolu.php&bodytext= <form mt:asset-id="5417" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;" contenteditable="false"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/Al_Ahram.jpg"><img alt="Al_Ahram.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2010/01/Al_Ahram-thumb-200x133-5417.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="133" width="200" /></a></form>Much of the transformation in the newspaper industry is led by the big western players: <i>The New York Times</i> <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/multimedia/2010/01/new_york_times_announces_finalised_paywa.php">has announced it will charge for content</a>, <i>The Guardian</i> <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/multimedia/2010/01/guardian_iphone_app_could_net_2_million.php">has launched a paid news app for the iPhone</a>, and the <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/analysis/2010/01/what_tablets_could_mean_for_newspapers.php"><b>Apple</b> tablet</a> is eagerly anticipated.
<br /><br />But these changes affect other parts of the world, as the Egyptian newspaper <i>Al-Ahram</i> reminds us. "In Egypt, we are also experiencing a seismic media evolution," <a href="http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2010/979/sc232.htm"><b>Tarek Atia</b> writes, in a considered op-ed</a> on the state of the newspaper industry in Egypt and the future of media.
<br /><iframe name="mashlogic" style="border: 0pt none ; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; overflow: hidden; display: none; z-index: 9999; position: absolute; top: auto; right: auto; bottom: auto; left: auto;" id="mashlogic" src="about:blank" frameborder="0"></iframe>&title=Egypt experiencing a "seismic media evolution"){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2010/01/canada_have_bankrupt_newspapers_found_a.php&bodytext=<form contenteditable="false" mt:asset-id="5386" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/canwest1.jpg"><img alt="canwest1.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2010/01/canwest1-thumb-200x126-5386.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="126" width="200" /></a></form>At least some of the bankrupt newspapers owned by <b>Canwest</b> may have found a buyer, <a href="http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004059853"><i>Editor and Publisher</i> reports</a>. A group of investors is preparing bids for three of the largest dailies: <i>The National Post</i>, <i>The Montreal Gazette</i> and <i>The Ottawa Citizen</i>. <br /><br />The consortium includes <b>Beryl Wajsman</b>, editor of Quebec's largest English-language weekly, <i>The Suburban</i>; <b>Raymond Heard</b>, a former <i>Montreal Star</i> managing editor and former editor of the <i>London Observer News Service</i>; and <b>Jerry S. Grafstein</b>, a former Canadian senator and founder of the Toronto television station <b>CITY-TV</b>.<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/canwest-shows-no-appetite-for-piecemeal-bids/article1435862/"></a><br /> &title=Canada: Have bankrupt newspapers found a buyer? ){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/multimedia/2010/01/how_wsj_uses_social_media_behind_a_paywa.php&bodytext=<form mt:asset-id="5340" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;" contenteditable="false"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/pay-wall-2.jpg"><img alt="pay-wall-2.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2010/01/pay-wall-2-thumb-200x200-5340.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" width="200" height="200" /></a></form>With newspapers struggling to make a profit as advertising revenues decrease - just in the last quarter of 2009, <a href="http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15207305">American newspapers earned 17% less from online advertising</a> than they had done a year earlier - many newspapers have turned to offering their online content for a fee.<br /><br /><br /><br /> &title=Are social media and paywalls compatible? How the <i>WSJ</i> is making both work){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/multimedia/2010/01/will_australians_pay_for_news_online.php&bodytext=<form contenteditable="false" mt:asset-id="5330" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/theaustralian.jpg"><img alt="theaustralian.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2010/01/theaustralian-thumb-200x150-5330.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="150" width="200" /></a></form>A new survey shows that most Australians are unwilling to pay for news online, as the national newspaper <i>The Australian</i> prepares for a corporate restructure ahead of implementing its paywall plans. <br /><br />Just over 70% of Australians would not consider paying to read online news, according to research published on <a href="http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/01/13/murdochs-grand-paywall-experiment-will-aussies-pay/">Australian news website <i>Crikey</i></a>. Among 18-24-year-olds, the figure was even higher, at 76%.<br /><br />'News junkies' who check for online news several times a day were less likely to pay for news than those who only read online news daily or weekly. And those who lived in urban areas in states with limited access to broadsheet newspapers appear to be more likely to pay for online news than those who live, for example, in the nation's capital Canberra, where broadsheets from all over the nation are readily available.<a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/news-change-opens-horizons/story-e6frg996-1225818596689"></a><br /> &title=Will Australians pay for news online? ){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/newsrooms_and_journalism/2010/01/star_tribune_names_new_publisher.php&bodytext=<form contenteditable="false" mt:asset-id="5284" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/michael%20klingensmith.jpg"><img alt="michael klingensmith.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2010/01/michael%20klingensmith-thumb-200x218-5284.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="218" width="200" /></a></form>It's been a week of managerial announcements, with the <b>Associated Press</b> announcing the new managers of its <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/web_20/2010/01/ap_names_social_network_manager.php"><b>Social Network Center</b></a> and its <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/newsrooms_and_journalism/2010/01/key_editors_of_ap_news_center_named.php"><b>News Center</b></a>. The latest announcement is from the <i>Star Tribune</i> in Minneapolis-St. Paul, which has named <b>Michael Klingensmith</b> as its new publisher.<br /><br />As a former <b>Time Inc.</b> executive, Klingensmith has worked as general manager of <i>Time</i> magazine, president of <i>Sports Illustrated</i> and founding publisher of <i>Entertainment Weekly</i>. Most recently he was a managing director of <b>AdMedia Partners</b>. <br /><br />He replaces <b>Chris Harte</b>, who stepped down when the Star Tribune was in bankruptcy protection last year.<br /> &title=<i>Star Tribune</i> names new publisher ){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/newsrooms_and_journalism/2010/01/local_news_network_launched_in_californi.php&bodytext=<form contenteditable="false" mt:asset-id="5261" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/OrangeCountyRegional1.jpg"><img alt="OrangeCountyRegional1.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2010/01/OrangeCountyRegional1-thumb-175x91-5261.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="91" width="175" /></a></form>A new local news website, the <i>Orange County Local News Network</i>, will be launched next month, <a href="http://paidcontent.org/article/419-us-local-news-network-partners-with-la-times-on-launch-of-third-local-s/"><i>paidContent</i> reports</a>. The <i>U.S. Local News Network</i> and the <i>Los Angeles Times Media Group</i> will join forces to launch the website, and will cross-sell advertising and share content. <br /><br />The LA Times Media Group already owns several local weekly newspapers in Orange County, including the <i>Huntington Beach Independent</i> and the <i>Coastline Pilot</i>. The new website will compete with another regional newspaper, the <i>Orange County Register</i>.<br /> &title=Local news network launched in California){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2010/01/german_press_targets_younger_audience.php&bodytext=<form contenteditable="false" mt:asset-id="5237" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/berliner%20kurier.jpeg"><img alt="berliner kurier.jpeg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2010/01/berliner%20kurier-thumb-200x111-5237.jpeg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="111" width="200" /></a></form>The German publisher, <b>M.DuMont Schauberg</b>, which owns the daily newspaper <i>Berliner Kurier</i>, has announced its intentions to launch a news supplement aimed directly at a younger audience later this year. The exact date of publication is not yet known. <br /><br />The move comes after news magazine <i>Spiegel </i>successfully launched <i>Dein Spiegel </i>last year, a separate publication from its news magazine and aimed at young readers between the ages of nine and twelve. Since its debut in September, with the first edition focusing on the then hot topic of Germany's general election, the publication has enjoyed considerable success and now lines the shelves of newsstands across the country. &title=German press targets younger audience){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/multimedia/2009/12/economistcom_looks_to_become_more_social.php&bodytext=<form mt:asset-id="2913" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2009/05/economist_logo-thumb-224x60-2905-thumb-224x60-2906.png"><img alt="Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for economist_logo.png" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2009/05/economist_logo-thumb-224x60-2905-thumb-224x60-2906-thumb-200x53-2913.png" width="200" height="53" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></a></form><div>The <i><a href="http://www.economist.com">Economist</a></i> intends to acquire 750,000 <b><a href="http://www.twitter.com/newspaperworld">Twitter</a></b> followers and 500,000 <a href="http://www.facebook.com"><b>Facebook</b></a> fans within six months, <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8f12c640-edcf-11de-ba12-00144feab49a.html?nclick_check=1">reported the </a><i><a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8f12c640-edcf-11de-ba12-00144feab49a.html?nclick_check=1">Financial Times</a></i>. The weekly news magazine has allocated a budget of tens of thousands of pounds to help boost numbers: currently the publication has 93,000 followers on Twitter and 181,000 Facebook fans. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Economist is planning to implement <b>Facebook Connect</b> on its website, <a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/analysis/2009/12/facebook_connect.php">which allows readers to long in an make comments via their Facebook accounts</a>. The website will also "take on features similar to social networks itself," according to the FT, allowing readers to create profile pages and earn a reputation through other users' recommendations of their comments on the site.</div> &title=<b><i>Economist.com</b></i> looks to become more social){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2009/12/financial_freesheet_stikes_a_deal_to_sha.php&bodytext=<form contenteditable="false" mt:asset-id="5059" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/cityam-spread.jpg"><img alt="cityam-spread.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2009/12/cityam-spread-thumb-175x233-5059.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="233" width="175" /></a></form>London financial freesheet <i><b>City A.M. </b></i>will relaunch its website and gain access to more news stories and resources under a deal with online financial services company <b>Interactive Investor</b>.<br /><br />The deal will see Interactive Investor managing <i>City A.M.</i>'s website. The two companies, with a total pool of 36 journalists, will share news and resources. Their combined stories will also be published on the Interactive Investor website.<br /> &title=Financial freesheet strikes a deal to share content){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2009/12/revenue_up_at_french_news_websites.php&bodytext=<form contenteditable="false" mt:asset-id="5048" class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/Billets_euros.jpg"><img alt="Billets_euros.jpg" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/assets_c/2009/12/Billets_euros-thumb-175x115-5048.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="115" width="175" /></a></form><b>Le Groupe Figaro</b>, owners of French daily newspaper <i><b>Le Figaro</b></i>, have recorded good results in 2009, <i><a href="http://www.tarifmedia.com/article/article.cfm?idArticle=37097"><b>Tarif Media</b> reports</a></i>. <br /><br />The group's websites include news website <i><b>Lefigaro.fr</b></i>, culture and entertainment website <i><b>Evene.fr</b></i>, and sports website <i><b>Sport24.fr</b></i>, and others. These sites posted total revenue up by 11% at the end of October. <br /> &title=Revenue up at French news websites){kind=link}