Göteborg, Sweden - Outsourcing is becoming increasingly common, and increasingly necessary, as publishers struggle to take control of their businesses in the face of declining print ad revenue, Tony Watson, editor-in-chief of the Press Association in the United Kingdom, said in the last session of the 61st annual World Newspaper Congress Wednesday.

Although outsourcing is still controversial, “it makes no sense for skilled journalists to do this work when they can produce greater value elsewhere,” he said. It has taken 18 years for the process to evolve in terms of television listings, but as newspapers are tightening their belts, they'll need to do something before another 18 years rolls around.

Joe Webb, deputy managing director of Independent Newspapers in Ireland said his company has been using outsourcing for 12 years, and it has freed journalists to do their job better, as well as cut costs, he said. The company has outsourced advertising pre-press, telesales, circulation sales, accounting, online activities and some editorial functions.

The paper has cut its staff down from 746 permanent in-house to 369, and savings have led to greater margins.

“There was a period of time that there was a residual fear” when cuts were going on, but now “I have to say all people in-house are absolutely liberated, they can do what they want, they work harder because they can get more done, (there is a) more dynamic work environment,” Webb said.