Results matching “newspaper to be launched”

NewsNow launched NewsNow Mobile, a mobile site that provides updates from newspapers around the world, at once.  NewsNow Mobile is a rolling news service in real time that links to over 200,000 articles daily. 

According to Struan Bartlett, chairman, NewsNow Publishing Limited, "NewsNow Mobile could really be a new 'killer app' for mobile phones.  It makes a great alternative to reading the paper, whether you're bored on the train, in a cafe or even in bed! Unlike a newspaper, it's free, it's handy and it won't get ink on your fingers."

TheStarPhoenix.com has launched a new website.  The new site offers more content including breaking news, feature, entertainment, sports, photos and commentary.

In addition, the pages will be in an extra wide format, "allowing viewers to scan much more of the page without scrolling," according to the paper's website.

As outlined in the first entry of this series, consumers will start using mobile electronic reading devices routinely. But will these versatile tools also become the preferred display for news and current affairs? Publishers' ability to inhabit this uncharted territory will matter greatly, but even more important is the decision of media consumers that news offered in this way best fits today's lifestyle and nicely blends in with their expectations and routines.
 
The readers' view is currently being explored and tested in several prototyping and/or pilot initiatives, although this effort is modest compared to the involvement of hardware and software engineers. Nevertheless, first results reveal the contours of what in the eyes of the digital reader will be the ideal form of electronic information delivery. Based on four recent research actions, this contribution will sketch the preconditions for successful deployment of e-readers and services, seen from the users perspective.

The eNews project, set up by Ifra, explored the consumer readiness for e-readers. Via focus groups in European and Japanese locations it was found that the use setting is different: more lean backward compared to the lean forward use of PC and print. This finding will have consequences for the kind of content that can be offered. Surprisingly, the consulted test persons appreciated the daylight readability of the e-readers, but by no means hyped it as heavily as the manufacturers themselves always do. The love for the device stems much more from its environment-friendly image.

Microsoft, partner in the design of the New York Times News Reader, has evaluated the user appreciation of this application in a field study. A selected group of readers worked for weeks with the NYTReader, especially while commuting, and was interviewed afterwards. Overall assessment was very positive: two-thirds, especially the serious travellers, would stick to the service. The kind of use however depended much on personal reading style: the news junkies appreciated the amount of detail, the skimmers the quickness of updates while the fun-seekers enjoyed the sophisticated layout. The synchronisation feature for permanent updating was less popular: too time-consuming and difficult to understand.
Conclusion: newspapers will have to bear in mind all these different use categories, and with an improved product.

In the Dutch MePaper project, the five participating newspapers are exploring novel journalistic formats for two types of e-readers: the e-ink devices and the mini laptops (UMPCs). New content models for mobile reading are developed in a joint design studio and these prototypes are tested in lab-based proof reading sessions. Here, it shows that there is a difference between what journalists think is important, for instance the addition of time frames to story overviews, and what the public wants (don't bother us with release hours). Also in this R&D effort, the variety of user demands is apparent. Many want both local (often hyper local) news, without loosing the global perspective. The preference can change from day to day, depending on personal circumstances and the attraction of news on offer. A definite outcome is the demand for customisation of the e-paper, ideally composed of sections, even editors from a range of different media. This result is in fact a cry-out for joint ventures between titles and across newspaper groups. Thus, e-reading will provoke unconventional business practices.
If the newspaper world manages to respond to these user requirements, there certainly is scope for a quick roll-out of the e-reading technology. In a Swedish large scale online survey (part of the UbiMedia project), 42 percent of the 3600 readers indicated to be ready for it now, and another 19 percent in the next five years.  Would these people want to change their trusted print edition for an electronic version? Two-thirds said yes, only one-third would be faithful to newsprint. The e-service however is expected to be considerably cheaper (says 58 percent), with a meagre 8 percent willing to pay extra for premium content.

The conclusion is obvious, the adoption potential for mobile electronic reading is certainly high, but it is a medium in its own right, not just another print or online edition spin-off. It needs to be well designed, fully user-driven, with convincing personalisation options. Valuable lessons in this respect are being learned by a Dutch paper, NRC. The e-reader service it launched last year based itself on simple copy streaming, and it obviously doesn't work. Disappointed users created an open forum in wiki format to voice their concerns, criticism and improvement suggestions. The company hasn't been able to respond to it adequately yet. E-reading clearly asks for special content formats, a different type of navigation architecture and innovative forms of news organisation. In the next entry, first design principles will be reviewed.

Director of the Euorpean Centre for Digital Communications and long-time journalist, Jan Bierhoff is currently conducting studies on e-reader technology and the consumer trends that will define their use. 
 

Free-daily newspaper, Link, is set to close by the end of the year.

Link is part of the same newspaper group that contains the Virginia Pilot, the publisher is pursuing a cost-cutting regime. The Virginia Pilot will loose 10% of its workforce, close its business section and have less pages overall.

Link launched in October 2006 achieving positive reviews. Editor of the Link, Denis Finley, said in an article in The PilotOnline,  "we, as a company, cannot afford to withstand those losses in the next couple of years in this climate."

Link had a circulation of around 30,000.

Source: Newspaper Innovation

Exactly one year after its initial launch, the Mittelland edition of free newspaper 'News' will be closed in Switzerland.

News will continue to be published in its other three markets in Zurich, Berne and Basle "in cooperation with the paid newspapers," Newspaper Innovation reports, and will distribute in Mittelland.

News was launched in December 2007, and had a circulation of 132,000 in Mittelland.

Source:  Newspaper Innovation

According to The National, the first ever Arabic-language business daily newspaper will be launched in January in the United Arab Emirates.  The launch of the paper is part of I-Media, an integrated media project which will "include a financial news online portal in Arabic and English, a mobile news services and the first Arabic economic news radio channel."

Qusai Aljamous, the paper's executive editor in chief said the paper will be a 40-page broadsheet titled, Alroya Altiqtissadiya, which means Economy Vision in Arabic.  The initial circulation will be 20,000, targeting business-savvy readers.  In addition, the paper will be accompanied by a 16-page tabloid supplement focusing on real-estate, banking, the stock market, commodities, tourism and lifestyle. 

De Standaard Weekend was launched this weekend as a part of the newspaper's new overall strategy.

The new strategy has involved the launch of De Standaard, Online - which will focus on breaking news stories - and the daily newspaper focusing on in depth articles, such as analyses and editorials.

The new weekend edition is divided into six "booklets," including a restyled De Standaard Magazine, an economy section, culture and media section, a travel supplement, job listings and a general news section of political and national and international news.

De Standaard's daily edition has a readership of 350,000, while De Standaard Online has 180,000 daily visitors, according to the press release.  

Source:  Publicitas

In San Diego, a website has arisen that monitors and illuminates some of the city's "darkest secrets," acting as a watchdog for the community, and forcing its more traditional competitors, namely, newspapers, to follow up.

The Sunday Nation of Thailand has adopted a new narrower format of 12 inches.  In addition the newspaper launched a new glossy Sunday magazine entitled Ace.

According to Leroy Sylk, the design director of The Nation, the weekday edition of paper will probably convert to the narrower format sometime in the near future.  

The narrower format allows the paper to cut costs and be more reader friendly.


Source: Garcia Media

Following on from yesterday's article about newspaper integration and aggregation, the Editors Weblog continues its interview with Ian Fernandes, head of the Digital Division at Nation Media Group (NMG). Today, we look at its new social media platform, mobile classifieds and cross-promotion.

Social media and the Daily Nation - Who wants to be famous?

The NMG has been looking at how to get their readers more involved with the company's activities. Fernandes says, "We are taking a lot of knowledge from what we see happening abroad and from being in the entertainment industry with radio and television. From this, we are noticing that the younger generation are spending more time on Facebook or MySpace than watching television. So we are starting our own social website which will be launched before the end of the year." The name of the site has been under wraps, but Fernandes exclusively revealed to the Editors Weblog that it will be called Zuqka, and the style of the site will be a mixture of Facebook and citizen journalism.

NMG receive pictures, video clips, and songs from readers, listeners and viewers from across its various platforms and it is unable to use it all as there is only so much content they can carry. Users of this new site will be able to share this content with other subscribers and who will then be able to vote on how good or bad it is. The best of this content will be used on NMG's mainstream media platforms. Fernandes says, "We are killing two birds with one stone. Firstly, we are using content that we couldn't use before and, secondly, we are giving people the chance to be famous. A lot of Kenyans want to be famous but there is no chance to be. For example, you can send in a song and if the site users vote for it and it gets in the Top Ten of songs on the site, it will then be played on NMG's Easy FM radio station. In the same way, the top ten blogs on the site will be put in the Saturday newspaper. Whatever topics are being discussed on the blogs and pictures being sent in and so forth, will be shown on a TV magazine programme."

NMG are also going to introduce a platform called Events whereby you can see what is happening in terms of concerts and so forth in Kenya. Through this portal your network of friends on the site can see what you are attending and you can send details of the, for example, concert, to your circle of friends and invite them to come along.

NMG are in the final stages of putting the site together, with the design template scheduled to be completed by the end of this month. Once Broadband is introduced to Kenya (scheduled for next year, please see yesterday's article) sites such as this will have a real opportunity to take off. Fernandes reports, "We want to inform people that there is a lot more you can do with the Internet."  The site is set to be launched at the end of November, and a newspaper pullout also will be unveiled at the same time under the same Zuqka brand name. This pullout will be driven by content from the site.

Fernandes say, "We are at an advantage in terms of tapping into social media as we have all the other platforms within the NMG to drive it. Just telling a user that they can send a video or audio and share it with their friends is not good enough. With the NMG site, the user could get in the newspaper or on TV, this will be the selling factor."

Fernandes goes on to say, "Media has changed. The editor used to select what we saw and so forth whereas today it is the subscriber who chooses. By allowing subscribers to contribute to your product you can also test to see what is the big story... Getting your readership involved by sending in content to you is so important."

Mobile news ahead of online site

With Internet connectivity being so slow, mobile usage in Kenya is significantly higher than internet usae, with four out of every five Kenyans having a mobile phone. To explot this usage, the Daily Nation website also has a Wapsite, providing readers with a mobile web version of the newspaper. Customers who are looking for Daily Nation content on their phone are directed to the Mobile version of the news site.

The Daily Nation mobile site sends breaking news alerts, sports alerts, religious phrases, and horoscopes to subscribers. Furthermore, in the coming months, NMG is looking to introduce video news alerts for mobile phones via MMS or video content.

Classifieds through mobile

The company is also looking at the classified platform whereby if, for example, you are looking for a red BMW and you are willing to pay 200,000 shillings you will be able to punch the details into your phone and this data then links to the newspaper classified database. The relevant seller details will then be sent to your mobile phone. Once again, the slow Internet connection has resulted in the online classified section being underused, this should change next year. Fernandes predicts that once broadband hits Kenya, "we will see an explosion in Internet usage and we want to be ready for that."

Who wants to be a millionaire?

A key target of the newly established digital division is the monetisation of the various platforms within NMG, it seeks to pursue this by linking its platforms and cross promoting. Fernandes told the Weblog that every Tuesday on NTV (NMG's TV channel) there is a quiz show and viewers send in their answers by SMS, the winner is the person who sends in the most correct answers fastest. The winner of the show wins 1,000 shillings. This show is being cross-promoted across all of NMG's brands and has proved a hit with Kenyans. Fernandes explains the popularity of the show, "Kenya is probably one of the few countries where the "Who wants to be a millionaire" format did not work, not because people did not find the show interesting but because they were too shy to go on TV and look stupid if they did not know the answer. With this format Kenyans can play along from the comfort of their own home and no one knows if you get an answer right or wrong or what you look like."

Secret of NMG's success

Looking at all the various changes and innovations that the NMG has introduced, and is looking to introduce, it is clearly at the cutting edge of innovation within the newspaper and media industry. The cross-promotion across its platforms and the integration of not just the newsrooms but also the content is particularly notable. The Zuqka site looks set to be a success and the vision behind it is exciting, it should generate a real buzz in Kenya and around the NMG brand. Furthermore, it will also attract the key youth readership and create loyalty. Fernandes says, "Our philosophy is that the world is changing and we need to give our customers what they want when they want it and in the way they want it." This seems to be why NMG is so successful, the company knows and understands its readers, and anticipates what they want before they even want it

See also:

Kenyan Media Part 1: Is newsroom integration possible for media conglomerates

Daniil Kupsin, owner of Russian business radio station Business FM, has announced that he will launch an online business news site, RIA Novosti reported on Thursday. Bfm.ru will be run by Russian Internet journalist Anton Nosik and will have a team of nearly 30 reporters.

View From Publishing, a small community newspaper publisher in the UK, announces increased year-on-year circulation and advertising revenues. Since September 2008, the company's titles have surged to over £1 million in ad revenues.

The Vietnam News Agency has launched an online newspaper entitled, VietnamPlus.

VietnamPlus will cover politics, socio-economics, culture, sports, sciences and technology from Vietnam and around the world.

The online paper will also archive news and images from the last ten years.  In addition readers can customize the site and change the color.  In addition, the website will be available in tour different languages, Vietnamese, English and French.

Source: VNS

Days after rival Washington Post announced plans to increase White House coverage, the Washington Times has also decided to up its coverage from one to three correspondents.  The Times has also launched a news wire service.

According to a memo sent to staff last week, "In the shadows of this historic election, we now must ready ourselves to shine again with our coverage of the new administration and the new Congress. The transition period is an essential