News

Newspapers that continue to succeed in the digital age will do so by

developing their traditional relationships with readers, no matter how

they're delivered, Rupert Murdoch says in the new Innovations in Newspapers

2009 World Report, an annual survey released today (27 April) by the

Innovation International Media Consulting Group for the World Association of

Newspapers.



"Our success will still depend on the bond of trust between readers and our

content, not on how many platforms we use," he says in a preface to the

report.



"This annual report demonstrates powerfully how newspapers around the world

are being reinvented in the digital age. I believe newspapers have a

wonderful future. As printed products and as newly empowered news brands

that deliver great journalism across many platforms customized to the

interests of readers."



But, Mr. Murdoch warns that complacency is the biggest threat to newspapers

and that the real foe "is not competition from new technology, it is the

complacency in our industry among people who have enjoyed monopolies, who

have to compete for an audience they once took for granted, who don’t trust

their audiences and who have not responded constructively to challenges from

readers who no longer think editors are omnipotent oracles."



"If we earn the trust and loyalty of our readers, good newspapers, and their

electronic siblings will become even stronger news brands. They may not

always be thrown over the fence each morning but their impact will continue

to resonate in the communities they serve," he says.



"Our role is to give our readers great journalism and great judgment. I am

convinced circulation and readership will grow on web pages, through RSS

feeds, in e-mails, on mobile devices and in printed newspapers," he says.



The Innovations in Newspapers 2009 World Report is available in English,

Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Arabic and can be ordered, in pdf format

through the WAN web site at http://www.wan-press.org/article18110.html or

also in pdf and print format from the Innovations International Media

Consulting Group at http://www.innovation-mediaconsulting.com



The annual report looks at major innovations and developments in the

newspaper industry world-wide. This year's edition, the 11th in the series,

focuses on:



- multimedia organisations - how to transform your newspaper's vertical

matrix into a horizontal, audience driven management structure.



- newsroom design and workflows - how to successfully integrate your

newsroom in order to offer content on a 24 hour cycle to different audiences

on every platform



- new advertising models - how to shift from linear to modular advertising

and change internal mindsets to selling audiences rather than just selling

space.



- mobile content and advertising; - the power of mobile news and how

mobility might hold the key to developing new revenue streams.



- blogging - how to leverage the content of local bloggers and generate new

audiences for your newspaper.



- social media - the power of micro-blogging to generate traffic and loyalty

to your news operation. How to integrate it into your daily news planning

schedules effectively.



- branding strategies - the best newspaper marketing campaigns, cases on how

to rediscover the power of your news brand in your community.



- new storytelling techniques - and much else.　



The Innovations Report serves as the centerpiece for a major presentation at

the World Newspaper Congress, to be held in Hyderabad, India, later this

year, from 30 November to 3 December. The Innovations International Media

Consulting Group will track major developments in coming months for the

presentation, which will provide an overview of both the report and new

cases and developments that emerge. Full details of the conference, the

annual global summit meetings of the world 's press, can be found at

http://www.wanindia2009.com



The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry,

defends and promotes press freedom and the professional and business

interests of newspapers world-wide. Representing 18,000 newspapers, its

membership includes 77 national newspaper associations, newspaper companies

and individual newspaper executives in 122 countries, 12 news agencies and

11 regional and world-wide press groups.



Innovation International Media Consulting Group is a global consultancy

focusing on newspapers. It works in every continent helping newspapers to

transform their products on paper, online and on air. It has a network of

70 consultants who deliver hands-on projects with specific business results

- whether it is increasing circulation, audiences, sales or performance of

media groups the world over. It has launched more than 150 newspapers and

has won many accolades for its innovative approach to the newspaper

business.



Inquiries to:



Larry Kilman, Director of Communications, WAN, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire,

75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile:

+33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: lkilman@wan.asso.fr



Juan Senor, Partner, Innovation Media Consulting Group. London.

+447932754732. senor@innovation-mediaconsulting.com.