Shaping the Future of the Newspaper Blog: April 2009 Archives

Study: Online readership more frequent, longer lasting

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 30, 2009 at 6:28 AM

A study done by USC's Annenberg School for Communications shows that readers of online newspapers spend an average of 53 minutes at a site, a record level among the centre's previous studies Chief Marketer reported. The findings of the Center for the Digital Future's study also mark an increase of 12 minutes from a similar survey done last year.

The researchers also found that 22 percent of online readers reported cancelling subscriptions to newspapers due to easily accessed online content.

Sport Media scores last-minute loans

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 30, 2009 at 6:21 AM

British Sport Media Group Plc has secured supplementary financing and is no longer expected to be sold, Reuters reported today. The company will receive a £1.7 million loan in order to offset its 93 percent drop in profit.

In a statement, the company claimed "these loans will enable the group to effect a restructuring and re-organisation of the Sport Newspaper business to restore it to profitability." The company also said a new print contract and staff cuts would be included in the restructuring.

Fairfax Media combining online publications

Posted by Simon Day on April 30, 2009 at 5:41 AM

Fairfax Media, New Zealand's largest media company, will combine all of its publications into one online home as the Fairfax Media Digital Edition, the Taranaki Daily News reported Monday.

Fairfax Media publishes nine daily newspapers, the country's two national Sunday papers and more than 50 community newspapers around New Zealand. All the daily papers, the two Sunday editions, more than 30 of the community papers and real estate guides will be amalgamated on one Web site as Digital Edition.

Canadian paper to stop publishing Monday edition

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 30, 2009 at 5:40 AM

The National Post's parent company CanWest Global Communications Group has decided the paper will no longer publish Monday editions this summer, The Globe and Mail reported.

The decision to halt Monday publications throughout July and August was made as the company seeks ways to cut back on expenses. The Monday paper is the least read edition during the summer months. The Post has also ceased serving non-profitable areas, including Winnipeg.

CanWest is attempting to restructure in light of its $3.9 billion in debt, according to The Globe and Mail. The company has already laid off 560 employees in its print and broadcast departments.

Study: 22% of Internet users abandon newspapers

Posted by Simon Day on April 30, 2009 at 5:39 AM

A study by University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication found that 22 percent of Internet users have cancelled their newspaper subscriptions now that they can find the same content online, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.

However, the study also found that newspapers would be missed. Sixty-one percent of Internet users who also read newspapers in print would rue the disappearance of the print publication. This is a 56 percent increase from a year earlier.

Baltimore Sun cuts third of newsroom staffers

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 30, 2009 at 5:32 AM

The Baltimore Sun has laid off one third of its newsroom staff, the Baltimore Sun reported today. The job cuts at the Tribune Co.-owned paper, which include reporters, columnists, photographers and graphic artists, as well as others, follow the company's bankruptcy filing at the end of last year.

The layoffs are part of a restructuring plan for the Sun's newsroom, which a spokeswoman for the Baltimore Sun Media Group said is going to become "a 24-hour local news-gathering media company so we can more effectively gather content and distribute it among our different platforms: print, online and mobile."

Staff cuts have been implemented fairly regularly at the Tribune Co.'s papers since last June, yet Baltimore Sun employees expressed shock at the extent of the most recent cutbacks, according to the Sun.

American Community Newspapers files for bankruptcy

Posted by Simon Day on April 30, 2009 at 5:31 AM

American Community Newspapers, publisher of smaller newspapers across four U.S. markets including the Still Water Gazette in Minneapolis and Plano Star Courier in Texas, announced on Tuesday that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Editor & Publisher reported Wednesday.

"While we have proactively managed our business by right sizing our cost structure and driving efficiencies to maximizing our cash flows, our operations are not able to support our current capital structure," Chairman and CEO Gene Carr said in a prepared statement.

Bangladeshi groups increase support for business journalism

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 29, 2009 at 3:52 AM

Aiming to give journalists a better understanding of financial issues, as well as help them interpret and report on economic data and jargon amidst the difficult global economy, the Business Journalists' Network held a meeting in Jessore to familiarise local journalists on topics such as trade financing, agricultural credit and anti money-laundering schemes, The Daily Star reported Sunday.

The meeting was also organised by the Management and Resources Development Initiative and included speakers from banks who discussed topics such as banking and credit procedures, as well as trade issues, according to the article, posted by AsiaMedia.

New technology gives greater visibility to ads

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 29, 2009 at 3:50 AM

New Digital's recent product, First Impressions, will allow ads to be seen by Internet users who find stories through links or search engines, The Australian reported.

Previously users only saw ads when they went directly to the Web site, whereas the new technology provides what New Digital's chief commercial officer Ed Smith described as "maximum reach for online advertisers."

Smith told the Australian First Impressions "ensures that you capture everyone within that domain, not just the home page." The new product will be launched this week and is priced at $50 for each 100 users who see an ad.

President: ASNE goal to help fix newspapers' business model

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 29, 2009 at 3:47 AM

As new president of the American Society of News Editors, Martin Kaiser has promised to find ways for newspapers to use the Web lucratively, The Associated Press reported. Kaiser, also editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, told the AP he wants the ASNE to be a "more hands-on, practical organisation where we help leaders in newsrooms either online or print deal with this dramatic change going on."

In another move toward modernisation, the former American Society of Newspaper Editors voted to change its name this year to better represent the industry and include online news sites. The new goal for the ASNE is to fix newspapers' business model, which Kaiser called broken, and to aid newspapers in finding ways to make the Internet profitable for their organisations.

Portuguese newspaper to launch as converged newsroom

Posted by Simon Day on April 29, 2009 at 3:45 AM

May 7 marks the launch of new Portuguese newspaper, 'i', by media group Sojormedia, Editor & Publisher reported on Monday.

The paper will utilise publishing suite Milenium cross-media software created by Madrid-based Protecmedia. Sojormedia hopes the technology will help to build a completely integrated online and print newsroom.

NY Times and union reach provisional pay cut agreement

Posted by Simon Day on April 29, 2009 at 3:40 AM

The Newspaper Guild and The New York Times Co. have reached a provisional agreement on a 5 percent pay cut for newsroom and other employees represented by the union, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.

The 5 percent cut has already been imposed on nonunion employees at The Times and will be voted on the by union membership next week. The pay reduction would extend until December 31, 2009, the union said.

Asian newspaper conference cancelled

Posted by Simon Day on April 29, 2009 at 3:20 AM

Asian newspaper conference Publish Asia, originally scheduled for May in Bangkok, has been cancelled due to the recent political turbulence in Thailand, The Straits Times reported Monday.

The newspaper summit will instead be held in Chennai, India, in September, said world publishing organisation IFRA. The relocation is due to "the recent turmoil in Bangkok triggering travel restrictions there by many countries" combined with the global recession.

Denver Post circulation up on Rocky Mountain News closure

Posted by Simon Day on April 28, 2009 at 1:34 PM

Since the closure of the Rocky Mountain News, the Denver Post has accumulated readers, reaching the spot of 11th largest daily newspaper in the United States, according to a nationwide ABC survey, the Denver Business Journal reported Monday. The Post's weekday circulation averages 371,728 copies sold.

After the February 27 closure of the News, the Post subsumed the subscribers of its former rival under an agreement with E.W. Scripps Co., the former owner of the News. An estimated 14,000 subscribers to both papers were offered extensions of their Post subscriptions.

Boston business locals not interested in Globe purchase

Posted by Simon Day on April 28, 2009 at 6:29 AM

Several Boston business moguls have been approached regarding the purchase of the Boston Globe; however, little interest has been received by the struggling paper, the Boston Herald reported on Tuesday.

Globe owner the New York Times Co. said it expects the Globe register a loss of around US$85 million this year on top of $50 million loss in 2008. The Times Co. has threatened the newspaper with sale unless it can get $20 million in concessions from its unions before the end of this week.

English-language monthly to launch in France

Posted by Simon Day on April 28, 2009 at 6:12 AM

A monthly, English-language newspaper will be launched in France in June, targeting British citizens living abroad, those with holiday homes on the continent and other native English speakers navigating a French existence, the Guardian reported Monday.

The French Post is being started by former Emap magazine publisher Niki Wade, with contributions from former London journalists now living in France. Wade has already released an English publication in the west of France, the glossy, bi-monthly Living Poitou Charentes.

Ex Star-Ledger reporters launch news site

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 28, 2009 at 5:06 AM

Former reporters for Newark's Star-Ledger are following the lead of Rocky Mountain News reporters and starting a Web site Editor & Publisher reported.

The site, NewJerseyNewsroom.com, is founded by 40 Star-Ledger reporters who opted to take the paper's buyout offer last fall, which afforded a year's salary. So far the site is counting an average of 10,000 visits each week. Its content ranges from original local reporting to links to other news sites, such as the Star-Ledger itself.

UK newsagents threatened by new supply agreement

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 28, 2009 at 5:03 AM

In the United Kingdom, Lord Mandelson's modification of the 1994 Newspaper Code of Practice risks leaving newsagents without a product to sell, The Grocer reported today.

The Grocer's David Visick writes that publishers are "no longer forced to supply newsagents who order their titles," leading to a certain fear among vendors whose retail locations are off the beaten path. Last week, the rule was deemed out-of-date by the Office of Fair Trading.

U.S. newspaper circulation drops 7%

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 28, 2009 at 4:58 AM

Compared with last year, newspaper circulation has declined by more than 7 percent, The New York Times reported. The news comes on the heels of a recent study's findings that online readership has gone up by 10 percent.

The only major U.S. newspaper to not report a decline in circulation was The Wall Street Journal, which posted a 0.6 percent increase. The Audit Bureau of Circulations reported a drop of 20.6 percent for The New York Times. Analysis also showed that Sunday circulation has dropped by 5.37 percent.

UK paper yet another to adopt mixed paid and free model

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 27, 2009 at 6:21 AM

Regional UK weekly the Shrewsbury Chronicle will offer both paid and free content, Press Gazette reported. The Chronicle will be delivered for free to 30,000 homes in the town centre, while outside of the city, the paper will be sold for 40p per copy.

The Shrewsbury Chronicle, along with its sibling paper the North Shropshire Chronicle, are two of a number of regional papers that are following the example of the Manchester Evening News, a pioneer in adopting the part-paid, part-free format.

Colin Spicer, the managing director for Shropshire Newspapers, said the "response from advertisers has been overwhelmingly positive and we are certain the new paper will meet their changing needs."

BBC reveals collaborative arrangement with local media

Posted by Simon Day on April 27, 2009 at 6:20 AM

The BBC is close to reaching cooperative agreements with a number of local newspapers and TV and radio stations, Media Guardian reported Sunday. The national broadcaster is set to reveal deals with local papers that allows free access to the BBC's online video content for their Web sites, use of the BBC's school of journalism and allowing rivals to utilise its iPlayer technology.

The proposals were announced Tuesday at an industry summit hosted by culture secretary Andy Burnham. The summit was called in the hope of securing the future of local papers who face an uncertain future as the global recession continues to reduce advertising revenue.

Hearst launches portal for advertisers

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 27, 2009 at 6:20 AM

A new online portal for advertisers and agencies has been created by Hearst Magazines intended, AdAge reported Friday. The portal, which is the only means through which Hearst will accept ad submissions, is meant to standardise ad formats, making them more easily placed throughout the company's publications.

Hearst hopes the new submission policy will lend itself to less rigidity regarding the time frame in which ads can be accepted for upcoming issues. The company already reports successfully cutting the lead time for ads from 48 to 28 days for it's title Cosmopolitan, and is hoping to see more improvement when the portal is fully activated this summer.

PRWeek switches to monthly publication, paid Web site

Posted by Simon Day on April 27, 2009 at 6:19 AM

The American version of PRWeek has induced an awkward oxymoron as advertising decline forces it into monthly publication, The New York Times reported Sunday. This week's issue will be the last as a weekly production and the last as a tabloid size magazine. The publication's Web site will also switch to a subscription model.

Regarding the now incongruous title, publishing director Julia Hood said, "We definitely had a debate about that, but the PRWeek brand is very strong and we're very attached to it."

Free weekly suspends publication in Paris, London

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 27, 2009 at 6:18 AM

Free weekly magazine Sport has suspended its Paris and London editions this month, Newspaper Innovation reported today.

It is unclear whether the closure, which resulted in 24 job losses in London, is definitive. A press release on the London edition's site stated, "we are hoping to carry on the magazine and we are currently looking for further funding."

The press release attributed the magazine's decision in "suspending operations" to the magazine's French parent company going "into administration." Sport's London circulation was approximately 320,000 and its Paris readership counted about half a million.

Washington legislature votes for newspaper tax cut

Posted by Simon Day on April 27, 2009 at 6:12 AM

Washington state legislature endorsed a bill on Sunday that gives newspapers a 40 percent cut on the state's business and occupation tax until 2015, The Associated Press reported Sunday.

The bill was passed through the Senate with an overwhelming 46-2 majority. The bill passed through the House last month and is now forwarded on to Gov. Chris Gregoire.

Gannett launches Digital Media Network

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 24, 2009 at 10:09 AM

U.S. publisher Gannett Co., Inc. will launch a network that links its news, information and local sites, aiming to provide a new avenue for advertisers to reach customers, IndyStar.com reported. The Gannett Digital Media Network expects the reach of its 100 combined online communities to extend to an estimated 25 million people.

A company press release called the media network unique in its "combination of national reach and true local engagement," emphasising the fact that "local sites rank highest for trust in advertising" while the company's national sites "skew higher on metrics such as education and household income," making them an appealing demographic for advertisers.

Study: Online newspaper audience up 10% in 1Q

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 24, 2009 at 4:12 AM

Online readership of U.S. newspapers has gone up by 10 percent in the first quarter, according to a Nielsen study, commissioned by the Newspaper Association of America, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The study found that more than 73.3 million unique monthly visitors viewed online newspaper editions in the first three months of the year, an increase from 66.4 million the same time last year.

Former newspaper staffers struggle for online success

Posted by Simon Day on April 24, 2009 at 4:10 AM

With a plethora of lay-offs of newspaper reporters in the U.S., the newly unemployed journalists have turned to the Internet for a continued existence in the news industry. However, these startup, online-only news sites have had limited success, Mediabistro.com reported Thursday.

Last month a team of 30 former Rocky Mountain News journalists, backed by three investors, launched the online based INDenverTimes. Investors had hoped the site would receive up to 50,000 subscribers paying between US$4.99 to $6.99 a month. Kevin Prebuld, spokesperson for the three investors, said so far there have only been 3,000 subscribers.The project is now starting back at square one.

INDenverTimes plans being reworked

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 24, 2009 at 4:08 AM

The journalism venture by former Rocky Mountain News journalists and investors that was to be the online news service INDenverTimes is starting back at square one, Poynter reported yesterday, on what would have been the Rocky's 150th anniversary.

The plan is to create a lower scale site that will "create a self-sustaining, broad-based local news service," Poynter's Steve Myers writes. Investor Kevin Preblud said that the project was expected to lose money in early stages, but that investors "want to move forward from a business perspective rather than an ideal."

Unity president: Less diversity hurts industry

Posted by Simon Day on April 24, 2009 at 4:02 AM

The U.S. newspaper industry's recent struggles can be partly to blame on low levels of ethnic diversity in newsrooms, the president of minority journalists group Unity: Journalists of Color Inc. announced in a conference call Monday, Editor & Publisher reported.

"We've been screaming for years that this is about survival," said Rafael Olmeda, who also writes for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "The industry failed to make changes, and now it is not reaching the audience it wanted to reach."

Low ad sales, staff cuts mean steep 1Q loss at McClatchy

Posted by Simon Day on April 24, 2009 at 4:00 AM

U.S. newspaper publisher McClatchy Co. announced a US$37.5 million first quarter net loss, citing the advertising downturn and costs from laying off employees, Reuters reported Thursday.

The loss amounts to around 45 cents per share. Last year the company saw a first quarter net loss of $849,000, around 1 cent a share. Revenue also declined 25 percent at $365.6 million.

Tribune Co. asks permission to give $13 million in bonuses

Posted by Simon Day on April 23, 2009 at 12:23 PM

Newspaper publisher Tribune Co. yesterday asked a judge to authorize US$13.3 million worth of bonus payments to 693 managers, as part of the company's bankruptcy proceedings, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. The company also sought approval for a $2.5 million severance package for 70 employees terminated before the company filled for bankruptcy protection.

The filling in U.S. Bankruptcy Court excluded the company's top 10 executives.

Telegraph is March's most popular UK online newspaper

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 23, 2009 at 8:58 AM

The Telegraph counted 27,708,274 hits in March, making it the most visited online newspaper in the United Kingdom, Media Guardian reported today.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations Electronic (ABCe) put guardian.co.uk at second place with a record number of 26,238,539 hits.

Nielson study: Online video, social media sites see most growth

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 23, 2009 at 4:41 AM

Online video and social networking sites are two areas that are experiencing the most online growth, a new Nielsen Online study has found, SFGate.com reported. The study revealed that in February 2009, social media sites became more popular than e-mail for the first time ever.

Other findings include a 10 percent increase in viewing of online videos in the last year, along with a 71 percent increase in time spent viewing the videos.

Charles Buchwalter, vice president of Nielsen Online, said the study's findings reflect online users' desire for a more "personalized relationship" with online sites and networks and concluded that advertisers would have to "create more meaningful relationships with customers" to best take advantage of the medium.

Colorado Springs Gazette launches free daily

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 23, 2009 at 4:38 AM

The Colorado Springs Gazette will launch a free daily called Ink on May 6, Newspaper Innovation reported.

According to the Gazette's executive editor Jeff Thomas, the paper "will combine original reporting, readers' stories, news from wire services and from The Gazette".

Thomas described the new free publication as a sort of supplement to The Gazette, calling Ink "a 10-minute publication people can read while they're having a bagel" whereas the Gazette offers "a full course meal" of news, he said. Ink will be printed from Wednesday through Saturday.

Seattle P-I out of top 30 newspaper sites

Posted by Simon Day on April 23, 2009 at 4:35 AM

The new exclusively online version of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has fallen out of the top 30 most visited newspaper Web site bracket, according to March statistics from Nielsen Online, which could make a case for the theory that print drives online readership, paidContent reported Wednesday. However, owner Hearst Corp disputes the result, saying internal numbers reveal a substantial increase in visitors.

The Nielsen results reported a 23 percent drop in unique visitors to seattlepi.com with 1.4 million, leaving it as the 32nd largest newspaper site in the U.S. And while leading its cross-town rival, the Seattle Times, in February numbers, Seattletimes.com recorded a 70 percent jump in online readers for March with 2.2 million unique viewers, suggesting a switch for former Seattle P-I readers.

U.S. fed department drops subscriptions

Posted by Simon Day on April 23, 2009 at 4:30 AM

The U.S. Homeland Security Department is cutting a number of general interest newspaper and magazine subscriptions, such as The New York Times and Newsweek, in order to cut costs, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

Federal employees in the department have until April 27 to stop subscriptions. The department said employees will have continued access to general news Web sites through the government's in-house Internet.

Publishers take on 'fair syndication' of news

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 22, 2009 at 1:50 PM

A group of online publishers calling themselves The Fair Syndication Consortium have teamed up with Attributor to demand a percentage of revenue news aggregators earn through ads on sites that use their content, paidContent reported.

Attributor is working with news groups such as The Associated Press, the Financial Times and CondeNet in order to track their online content. If the content is found to be misused, publishers can request that it be taken down or ask for a cut of ad revenue.

The success of the project hinges in part on the ad networks' willingness to participate. At present, no ad nets have partnered with the Consortium.

Antitrust immunity for U.S. newspapers rejected

Posted by Simon Day on April 22, 2009 at 1:31 PM

The proposed immunity for struggling newspapers from antitrust law was rejected by the U.S. government, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

Representatives from the newspaper industry asked the House Judiciary Committee for more flexibility for newspapers in antitrust legislation. The group said current laws limit newspaper mergers as if they are only competing with one another, while in reality they also compete with numerous online news sources. The representatives referred the judiciary subcommittee to the recent number of job losses, bankruptcy fillings and closures in the industry.

Union proposal to make negotiations public rejected

Posted by Simon Day on April 22, 2009 at 12:36 PM

Union-management discussions at The Boston Globe yesterday reached a head after the boardroom rejected The Boston Newspaper Guild's proposal to take the negotiations public, according to both union and Globe officials, Boston.com reported. Owner New York Times Co. is seeking US$20 million in concessions from unions in an attempt to keep the newspaper open.

The Boston Newspaper Guild represents 600 editorial, advertising and business office staff at the newspaper, and has been asked by the Times Co. for $10 million worth of concessions from its members. The union last week proposed the hearing be held publicly.

Star Tribune seeks 90-day extention on bankruptcy proceedings

Posted by Simon Day on April 22, 2009 at 11:39 AM

Star Tribune Holdings Corp., publisher of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, has applied for a 90-day extension of its control over its bankruptcy proceedings, the Wall Street Journal reported today.

The application was filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York on Monday, and requests that the company retain independent control over its bankruptcy case until August 13, an extension from the original May 15 date. Without the judicial grant of an extension creditors and other parties may offer alternative approaches to the publisher's reorganisation of its debt.

UK publishers freed from 'out-of-date' distribution regulations

Posted by Simon Day on April 21, 2009 at 1:44 PM

UK newspaper publishers and distributors will no longer be obliged to supply newsagents who order their papers, the Financial Times reported today. The UK Office of Fair Trading has allowed the 1994 National Newspaper Code of Practice governing the distribution of newspapers, to lapse in October as it was deemed to be out-of-date.

Small newsagents were distressed by the decision, fearing it will hurt their businesses when competing with large publishers and wholesalers. The decision comes as newsagents are currently lobbying the OFT to investigate the distribution of newspapers, a move prompted by a series of contract losses valued at £308 million for the country's smallest wholesaler, Dawson News.

Cox Enterprises targets ailing U.S. auto industry

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 21, 2009 at 1:22 PM

Cox Enterprises plans to partner its network provider Adify with its online ad site AutoTrader.com paidContent.org reported.

The partnership is intended to take advantage of the holes in the car advertising market as well as bring together 40 of Cox Media's local sites, including AskPatty.com, AutoMart.com and GreenCar.com. Cox hopes to appeal to the struggling automobile industry by offering low cost, consumer-targeted advertising.

Social Media users find sites too application heavy

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 21, 2009 at 1:20 PM

A recent study conducted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau shows that users of social networking sites are annoyed by constant group and application requests Media Guardian reported.

The IAB's study reported that 31 percent of users of sites such as MySpace and Facebook express discontent with the onslaught of updates and appeals to join groups. These findings shed light on users' sensitivity to, and dislike of, networking sites being used for marketing purposes.

Three media companies in top 500's fifteen biggest losses

Posted by Simon Day on April 21, 2009 at 1:16 PM

In 2008 the 500 largest American companies, as listed by Fortune magazine, lost a combined US$500 billion, paidContent reported today.

As advertising spending fell 4.1 percent, according to ZenithOptimedia, media companies were some of the hardest hit. All sectors of the industry suffered, as highlighted by the presence of Time Warner, CBS Corp and Gannett Corp. in the top fifteen losers with a total of nearly $32 billion worth of losses.

Bid for Metro International fails

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 21, 2009 at 4:19 AM

Free dailies publisher Metro International announced on Monday a failed bid by a potential buyer Editor & Publisher reported. The publisher terminated talks with the anonymous interested party after they were "unable to present a fully financed offer."

Following the failed bid, Metro International will seek financing by issuing debts and warrants. Metro saw a first quarter loss of €15.3 million, with revenue dropping 24 percent. The publisher was also forced to shut down its titles in Spain due to financial pressure.

McClatchy recieves second NYSE delisting warning

Posted by Simon Day on April 21, 2009 at 4:00 AM

U.S. publishing firm McClatchy Co. has received a second delisting warning from the New York Stock Exchange, for its failure to meet the market-cap requirement, the Triangle Business Journal reported Monday. The company's total market capitalisation has fallen below the $75 million minimum for more than 30 consecutive trading days as of April 8, prompting the NYSE notification.

The first notification of the potential delisting came in February after McClatchy's share price fell below the $1 minimum, paidContent reported Monday. However, the rule has been suspended by the NYSE until June 30.

INM hires firm to assess Independent

Posted by Simon Day on April 20, 2009 at 11:37 AM

Dublin-based publisher Independent News & Media (INM), in cooperation with corporate finance group Lazard, is assessing the future of its flagship title, The Independent newspaper, which potentially includes its sale, the Telegraph reported today. However, the media group said that Lazard has not been given a "formal mandate" to sell the newspaper.

Sources close to the company said that the INM has had "one or two informal approaches" regarding the purchase of the paper. This inquiries are being fielded by the London based media strand of Lazard.

Media progress in Ghana

Posted by Simon Day on April 20, 2009 at 11:24 AM

Ghana's media industry is making rapid economic and professional developments, according to the African Media Barometer-Ghana Report 2008, the Daily Guide Ghana reported today. The report also revealed substantial development in media freedom and independence and showed Ghana media to be one of the most successful on the continent.

The African Media Barometer was launched in 2005 by the Southern African Media Project in conjunction with the Media Institute of Southern Africa. The bi-annual survey is a self-assessment undertaken by each African nation under unique self constructed criteria.

Media General reports 1Q revenue drops

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 20, 2009 at 5:51 AM

Media General Inc., the parent company of the Tampa Bay Tribune, signaled a first quarter revenue decline of 18 percent The Tampa Bay Business Journal reported.

The company saw share prices drop by 96 cents this quarter, compared to a 92 cent decline the same time last year. The publishing division of the company experienced the largest losses, with profit decreases of 78 percent.

Media General's President and chief executive Marshall N. Morton said the decline occurred despite the fact that the company "has responded swiftly to the revenue declines we have experienced over the last three years, and we have dramatically reshaped and reduced our cost structure."

S.F. Chronicle to cut 90 driver jobs

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 20, 2009 at 5:49 AM

The Union representing the San Francisco Chronicle's delivery truck drivers has conceded to 90 to 100 job cuts, SFGate.com reported.

The Union approved a contract that proposes reducing the driving staff to approximately 130, as opposed to the original proposal which eliminated drivers making home deliveries altogether. The newly ratified contract maintains that drivers can make deliveries to San Francisco homes, but stipulates that subcontracted employees can make deliveries in suburban areas.

Beijing-based paper launches English edition

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 20, 2009 at 5:46 AM

Beijing paper the Global Times will launch an English edition and Web site this week ChinaView.cn reported. The English-language edition plans to "cover the world from a Chinese perspective" by presenting the Chinese peoples' point of view on significant world issues.

Editor-in-Chief of the Global Times, Hu Xijn, said he hoped the new English edition would allow the Global Times "to make friends with foreigners and to facilitate communication between China and the world."

U.S. senator calls hearing on newspapers

Posted by Simon Day on April 20, 2009 at 5:40 AM

U.S. Senator John F. Kerry has called a hearing in Washington next week to assess the financials of the U.S. newspaper industry, as advertising revenue continues to plummet amid the suffering global economy, Boston.com reported Monday.

Highlighted by the potential closure of most recent industry victim, The Boston Globe, the Senate Commerce Committee hearing, led by Kerry, is the latest effort from Capitol Hill to examine the struggling U.S. industry.

SFN Report: IT, printing, circulation most popular functions to outsource for newspaper companies

Posted by Erina Lin on April 17, 2009 at 11:56 AM

The World Association of Newspapers conducted an online survey from November 2008 to February 2009, aimed at understanding the outsourcing and offshoring efforts in different functions of newspaper publishing companies around the world, SFN's Outsourcing Revisited reported.

There were 59 respondents who completed the survey - 39 percent are from Europe, 23 percent are from North America and 18 percent are from the Asia Pacific region. Another 10 percent came from Latin America, while only about 5 percent and less than 3.5 percent are from Africa and Australasia, respectively.

Study: Online-only readership at 3.5%

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 17, 2009 at 5:35 AM

A study conducted by Martin Langeveld at the Nieman Journalism Lab found that only 3.5 percent of readers do their newspaper reading online only, the Columbia Journalism Review reported this week.

The study compares pages of printed newspapers viewed by readers with online pages visited by readers. "We don't have clear data about the average number pages each member of that audience looks at, but let's make an educated guess: 24. That translates to about 87.1 billion printed page views per month," Langeveld stated. As for online traffic, assuming that only one person is reading the online edition per hit, online newspapers "averaged 3.2 billion online page views per month" in 2008.

News-Journal Corp. considers filing bankruptcy

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 17, 2009 at 5:32 AM

Under pressure from heavy debt, News-Journal Corp. recently hired a bankruptcy lawyer the news-journalonline.com reported Friday. Bruce A. Hanna, the company's attorney, said filing Chapter 11 "could potentially allow The News-Journal to continue operating, thereby saving several hundred jobs."

The strategy could help The News-Journal cut ties with Cox Enterprises, which owns 47.5 percent of the company, through debt reorganisation and lowering payments for Cox shares.

Record job losses for journalists in 2008

Posted by Simon Day on April 17, 2009 at 5:12 AM

With nearly 6,000 U.S. journalists losing their jobs last year, 2008 marked the biggest single year drop in history, according to an official report by the American Society of News Editors, out Thursday.

"Newspapers shed 5,900 newsroom jobs last year, reducing their employment of journalists by 11.3 percent to the levels of the early 1980s," the ASNE stated.

Gannett Co. reveals 20% online revenue decline

Posted by Simon Day on April 17, 2009 at 5:09 AM

U.S. newspaper company Gannett Co., Inc.'s first quarter online revenue for its U.S. newspapers was down 20 percent, Gracia Martore, chief financial officer at Gannett Co., announced on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported. The decline does not include financials from USA Today, the company's flagship title.

Martore said outside of online employment classifieds, Gannett's newspapers posted a low single digit increase in online income. Once an avenue publishers looked to offset declines in print advertising, the current economic climate has all but evaporated growth in online advertising income.

Government appointee advocates newspaper bailout

Posted by Simon Day on April 17, 2009 at 5:03 AM

Former freelance Los Angeles Times columnist Rosa Brooks, who recently joined the Obama administration as an advisor to the undersecretary of defense for policy, has expressed support for a comprehensive, government-based, bailout plan for the ailing newpaper industry.

In her final LA Times column April 9, Brooks wrote, "Years of foolish policies have left us with a choice: We can bail out journalism, using tax dollars and granting licenses in ways that encourage robust and independent reporting and commentary, or we can watch, wringing our hands, as more and more top journalists are laid off or bail out, leaving us with nothing in our newspapers but ads, entertainment features and crossword puzzles."

AbitibiBowater seeks Chapter 11 protection

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 17, 2009 at 5:01 AM

Newsprint company AbitibiBowater Inc.is seeking bankruptcy protection in light of its US$8.78 billion debt, Bloomberg reported Friday.

The company, based in Canada, filed in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court this week and plans to do similarly in Canada without delay. AbitibiBowater's Chief Executive Officer David Paterson said the decision to file was reached after "all other viable options to recapitalize our long-term debt were exhausted."

Study: Online-only can cut revenue more than costs

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 16, 2009 at 4:34 AM

Publishers who opt for an online-only format run the risk of cutting revenue more than costs, according to a study by researchers at City University in London, Media Guardian reported.

The study, done by Neil Thurman and Merja Myllylahti, used the example of Finnish financial paper Taloussanomat. The paper decided to switch to an online-only version in 2007 in response to heavy financial burdens. Despite the 52 percent in savings, the online edition saw a 22 percent decrease in readership and a 75 percent drop in revenue.

News Corp. seeks cost savings through collaboration

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 16, 2009 at 4:09 AM

News Corp. announced it is developing a network that will enable its many global titles to share content and resources to cut costs, Media Week reported. CEO Rupert Murdoch has chosen former executive vice president at Fox News, John Moody, to manage the project.

Moody said the venture comes at "a critical time in our industry" that requires innovation, such as the sharing network. Murdoch aims for the project to "share valuable news content and harness the power of News Corp.'s vast editorial resources."

Journal Inquirer to charge for online content

Posted by Simon Day on April 16, 2009 at 2:50 AM

Manchester, Connecticut's daily newspaper, the Journal Inquirer, is set to begin charging for online content as well as major major Web site expansion, The Hartford Courant reported. The newspaper will charge US$154 a year to view most stories, and print subscribers will have free access. The Web site will also see new features including reader blogs.

"Advertising on the Internet site has not yet begun to pay anything close to the expense of providing the news to our readers, even as providing the news on the Internet for free threatens to erode the paid circulation that does support the paper," Elizabeth S. Ellis, the newspaper's publisher, told The Courant.

Majority of marketers claim to use social media

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 16, 2009 at 2:49 AM

A recent survey shows that 88 percent of marketers claim to use some sort of social media, of which 72 percent say they have adopted the strategy in recent months, Marketing Vox reported.

Participants in the survey said their number one reason for using social media was that it generated interest in their company. Other reasons were that social media increased traffic on their sites and heightened their presence in online search results.

Wales digitises historical newspapers, magazines

Posted by Simon Day on April 16, 2009 at 2:48 AM

Millions of back issues, up until the 18th Century, of around 300 newspaper and magazine titles from Wales are to be digitalised and made available online, the BBC reported. The National Library of Wales hope to have to have the project running by 2012.

The £2m project follows up the library's £20m venture launched last October to transcribe all of its books, historical documents and works of art into digital form.

StreetWise seeks donations to stay open

Posted by Simon Day on April 16, 2009 at 2:43 AM

Chicago weekly StreetWise, sold by the homeless, may have to cease publication within the next two weeks unless it can raise US$75,000 in donations, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The non-profit StreetWise Inc. converted its newspaper to a glossy magazine in November, a move the Executive Director Bruce Crane said increased advertising. However, the publication relies on charity for half of its $500,000 a year budget and Crane said current economic conditions have left the magazine short of donations.

StreetWise began publication in August 1992 as a way for Chicago's destitute to earn a living.

U.S. newspaper ad revenue may fall up to 30%

Posted by Simon Day on April 15, 2009 at 1:35 PM

Newspaper advertising revenue is expected to drop up to 30 percent for some papers for the first quarter of 2009, the largest drop in decades, according to industry executives and analysts, The New York Times reported.

First quarter results for U.S. newspapers are due out later this week, but those industry insiders who have a had an opportunity to look at 2009's first economic statistics have said that even the most drastic initial forecasts did not predict the slump that the industry has encountered.

Media veterans to launch online paid network for newspapers

Posted by Simon Day on April 15, 2009 at 1:23 PM

Three top U.S. media executives, Court TV founder Steven Brill, former Wall Street Journal publisher Gordon Crovitz, and Leo Hindery, a former chief executive of AT&T Broadband, have started a company aimed to help the newspaper and print industry derive income from the Internet, AFP reported.

The project, Journalism Online, aims to target readers that "will continue to support journalists by paying a modest, fair price for original, independent, professional work distributed online."

New York welcomes new Spanish-language paper

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 15, 2009 at 5:39 AM

A new Spanish-language daily will launch in New York on April 20, The Associated Press reported Wednesday. N.Y. Al Dia will publish editions Monday through Friday, serving the Spanish-speaking populations in New York, New Jersey and Long Island, the New York Daily News reported.

Expected initial circulation is 20,000. N.Y. Al Dia's editor, Vicglamar Torres, is a former employee of Hoy, the Spanish-language daily whose New York edition ceased publishing in 2008.

Yahoo! announces sale of online advertising site HotJobs

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 15, 2009 at 5:35 AM

Yahoo!'s recent announcement that it is looking to sell HotJobs worries members of the company's Newspaper Consortium, whose main reasons for teaming up with Yahoo! include services provided by the career site, paidContent reported.

Members of the Newspaper Consortium have already expressed fear and doubt regarding Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz's commitment to the company's ties with the consortium and the affect that the departure of the company's president, Susan Decker, will have on the coalition.

The proposed sale of HotJobs is speculated to be a result of plummeting sales in the recruitment-ad sector, which are reported to have fallen by 5 percent last year. Nevertheless, the site saw a 146 percent increase in hits last year.

Rival HotJobs sites, such as Gannett's CareerBuilder and Monster.com, are also reaching out to newspapers by aiding online employment ads and building alternative networks with newspapers.

Boston Globe cuts 200 executive bonuses

Posted by Simon Day on April 15, 2009 at 5:31 AM

The Boston Globe is set to cut bonuses for more than 200 executives and managers, including publisher P. Steven Ainsley, in an attempt to further cut costs as the New York Times Company threatens to sell or close the paper, according to Boston.com.

Further, the newspaper will withdraw the 10 extra days off offered as part of a 5 percent pay cut. The cut will, however, remain until December.

Jersey Journal's restructuring plan focuses on local

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 15, 2009 at 5:30 AM

The Jersey Journal plans to cut 17 jobs as well as make a reduction at single-copy distribution sites, Editor & Publisher reported.

An agreement between the Newspaper Guild union and publisher Advance Publications is also said to have given more liberty to the paper in what stories it decides to cover and who it assigns to cover the events. The paper has already expressed its intention to direct its focus more to local news.

State officials object to Journal Register executive bonuses

Posted by Simon Day on April 14, 2009 at 1:31 PM

Pennsylvania state officials have objected to the Journal Register Co.'s proposed payment of executive bonuses amounting to $1.7 million while the newspaper publisher simultaneously seeks bankruptcy protection from its creditors, The Associated Press reported .

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett labelled the amount involved as a breach of federal bankruptcy standards in the objection filed to the U.S Bankruptcy Court in New York.

Marriott stops automatic daily newspaper service

Posted by Simon Day on April 14, 2009 at 1:27 PM

U.S. hotel chain Marriott International announced Monday that it will no longer automatically offer daily papers to guests, instead offering a choice of papers and if desired, no paper at all, Reuters reported.

Starting June 1, guest will have the option of receiving The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and a number of local dailies. Marriot predicts that making the papers optional will reduce newspaper distribution by 50,000 copies a day and 18 million copies a year.

More job cuts announced at Chicago Tribune

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 14, 2009 at 3:50 AM

The Chicago Tribune is set to implement another round of job cuts, expected to eliminate 20 percent of the staff, Crain's Chicago Business reported. The announcement was reportedly made to employees last week and the layoffs are expected to follow in the course of the coming weeks.

An e-mail sent by the paper's publisher Tony Hunter a few months ago stated the company's intention to hire employees for positions with "emerging growth opportunities," which might explain the company's recent hiring of a new spokeswoman.

Tribune Co. filed for bankruptcy protection last year, claiming $12.5 billion in debt.

Swiss free evening paper to expand

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 14, 2009 at 3:49 AM

The Swiss evening paper Blick Am Abend will launch new editions in Luzern and St. Gallen starting this August Newspaper Innovation reported. The new editions will expand coverage by the paper, which already serves cities such as Zurich, Berne, and Basie.

Competitors in the Swiss market, such as 20 Minuten and .ch, already offer five German language local editions.

Philadelphia Newspapers get green light to hire investment firm

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 14, 2009 at 3:46 AM

The owners of The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News have been granted permission to hire investment firm Sonenshine Partners LLC, The Associated Press reported.

Lenders agreed to let the newspaper publisher hire the firm at $75,000 a month after debating whether the groups efforts would overlap those of Alvarez and Marsal, another firm already working for the company.

The newspaper company filed chapter 11 in February, claiming $395 million in debt. The papers' projected income is expected to drop by $15 million this year.

Observer & Eccentric reorganises Michigan community papers

Posted by Simon Day on April 14, 2009 at 3:40 AM

Five semi-weeklies serving Birmingham, Troy, West Bloomfield, Rochester and Southfield in the Michigan areas, published by Observer & Eccentric Newspapers, will stop publishing and will close their Web sites as of May 31, The Detroit News reported.

The Gannett Co. owned Observer & Eccentric Newspaper chain, will also amalgamate the Southfield and Mirror Newspaper into a single multicomminity paper. The South Oakland Eccentric will begin publishing on June 7.

UK newspaper sales decline slows

Posted by Simon Day on April 13, 2009 at 10:44 AM

The UK Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) figures for March revealed a positive month for newspapers, Media Guardian reported. The results showed a slowdown in the decline of national newspaper sales.

At the height of the decline in September and October of 2008, sales showed a 6.2 percent decline from a year earlier. This figure has dropped slightly every month and sits at a current decline of 5 percent.

Hyperlocal sites try to take over where newspapers left off

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 13, 2009 at 5:02 AM

Hyperlocal sites such as EveryBlock, Outside.In, PlaceBlogger, and Patch are attempting to fill the void left by closed down dailies, with varying degrees of success, paidContent reported.

While hyper-local sites attempt to cover local news by employing journalists to cover police blotters and school board meetings, they also depend to a certain extent on news that comes from the struggling newspapers they are trying to replace.

Gannett's earnings set stage for expected dismal quarter

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 13, 2009 at 4:59 AM

Gannett Co., Inc. plans to announce disappointing quarterly earnings this Thursday, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Amid the expected decline in newspaper circulation, analysts will be looking for signs of hope among ad revenue. As advertising generated earnings have been on the decline, their role in the lifespan of certain newspapers has become vital. Signs of continued drops in the revenue source could push publishers to implement more cuts or closures of papers.

Study shows teens prefer free, aggregated news

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 13, 2009 at 4:56 AM

Teenagers in the Internet age are unlikely to pay for news, reports Wired.com. The study shows that young news seekers consider new sources as something they shouldn't be required to pay for access. This news is troubling given recent proposals in the news media to implement paid online subscriptions.

As far as aggregated news in concerned, the study shows that teen readers frequent sites such as Yahoo! and Google for their news coverage. The study surmised that the youth market prefers such sites because of "their brevity and compact approach." Other characteristics of sites that teens claimed to appreciate are condensed, low-volume information, uncluttered home pages, and photos or other illustrations accompanying stories.

Collective Media rasies $20M, competes with the big companies

Posted by Simon Day on April 13, 2009 at 4:41 AM

Minor advertising networking group, Collective Media, has been making major moves, reports Venture Beat. The company has recently raised US$20 million dollars in a partnership with Accel Partners and iNovia as it continues to impact the online advertising sector.

The 19th largest ad network in the U.S. has succeeded via focus on leading brands and advertising in top 500 Web sites, Collective chief executive Joe Apprendi told Venture Beat. Collective has made use of the leading branding technology Personifi, which targets behavior context and demographics. This has allowed the smaller company to compete in the unsold and unreserved online adspaces, the same arena as much larger well known companies such as Yahoo, AOL's Platform A, and Microsoft Media Network.

UK circulation down for March

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 10, 2009 at 7:15 AM

UK newspaper circulation has dropped 5 percent in the last 6 months, Dow Jones reported.

The largest drop in readership was seen with Independent News' circulation, which decreased by 15.44 percent. Circulation of the Independent's Sunday edition plummeted by 21 percent. The Financial Times, The Sun and The Daily Mirror also experienced declines. However, the Daily Star saw an increase of 2.15 percent, Media Guardian reported.

Rising shares for Gannett Co.

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 10, 2009 at 7:08 AM

Shares in Gannett Co.rose almost 40 percent on Thursday, Editor & Publisher reported. The increase in faith in the newspaper company, which closed at a US$1.06 increase, could be linked to Ariel Capital Management's 7.7 percent hike in Gannett stakes.

Despite the recent surge, share prices in the company are still down from the previous high of $31.14 compared to the current $3.75. Newspaper stocks have witnessed an overall increase of 246 points, propelled by Wells Fargo's impressive end of the quarter results. The New York Times Co. enjoyed an 11.98 percent increase, closing at $5.42.

Huffington Post establishes standards for citizen journalism

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 10, 2009 at 7:05 AM

The Huffington Post published its list of standards for citizen journalism this week.

The commandments of online reporting emphasise research and citing sources and references, advising reporters to, "include a link that supports your statement."

The list also promotes backing up quotes used in stories as well as "negative, fact-based" assertions. Along with ethical instructions for online reporting, the standards also address stylistic elements, advising writers to do a spell and grammar check, and to "keep all reports to under 1,000 words."

Video booms on newspaper Web sites

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 9, 2009 at 2:34 AM

A survey of 187 U.S. online newspapers conducted by online video content provider Brightcove reveals a boom in video uploads and activity last year, MediaPost reported. Brightcove's platform reported a growth of 452 uploads per month, an impressive overall increase of 1,500 percent.

The survey also showed an increase of video streaming by 35 percent and a 700 percent increase in pages that contain videos. Brightcove found that the most popular format for online videos is an ad format that in contained in a 300x250 banner which shows a 30-second video. The popularity of these videos is said to be linked to "lower production costs, higher-quality video and the gradual consumer shift from print and broadcast media to online outlets, according to MediaPost.

California free dailies close

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 9, 2009 at 2:32 AM

Three of California's free dailies, the Burlingame Daily News, the San Mateo Daily News and the Redwood City Daily News, have shut down, Newspaper Innovation reported. Combined circulation for the dailies was about 30,000

Other California dailies have been forced to curtail publishing, such as the Palo Alto Daily News, which has ceased printing its Sunday edition and scaled publishing back to five days a week, while also cutting total pages.

The areas served by the shuttered dailies will now be covered by a paper called the Daily News, whose masthead advertises coverage of "The Peninsula" including Palo Alto, Redwood City, Mountain View and Stanford.

Ford launches social media ad campaign

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 9, 2009 at 2:31 AM

To market its car, the Fiesta, to "young, tech-savy consumers," Ford will rely on 100 carefully chosen people from its target demographic to promote the car, paidContent reported.

Participants in what the car company calls the "Fiesta Movement" will drive the car for six months and document their experiences through blogs, online videos and updates on social media sites.

The test-drivers were chosen by the company among more than 4,000 submitted video auditions. Qualifications for acceptance into the "movement" included high scores on a "social vibrancy" rating, creativity, multimedia skills, and the driver's record behind the wheel. Ford has stated that it will exercise no control or censorship over the material produced by the test group, according to paidContent

The campaign is meant to tap into a youth market that is unlikely to buy domestic cars.

Cutbacks and closures for Reno paper

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 9, 2009 at 1:33 AM

The Reno Gazette-Journal plans to lay off 35 employees, totalling approximately 10 percent of its staff, The Associated Press reported. The paper has also announced it will close its weekly paper, the Carson Times, on April 17.

The restructuring follows 61 jobs eliminated in the end of last year and the closure of two other Nevada weekly papers. Gazette-Journal publisher Ted Powers said employees affected by the cutbacks were offered severance packages relative to their years of employment at the paper.

Google exec proposes 'building a business' with news sites

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 8, 2009 at 5:06 AM

In a speech at the same convention where Rupert Murdoch suggested news aggregators steal online news content, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt emphasised the importance of creating a "new format" and business model for online journalism, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Addressing the newspaper industry, Schmidt said the only solution he saw to a harmonious partnership between search engines and news sources is to "build a business with you."

Schmidt encouraged news sites to follow Google's model of depending on advertising, rather than paid subscriptions, for revenue. The executive commented that "advertising is still the best way to reach a large audience," the Wall Street Journal reported. Schmidt also proposed "micro-payments" for access to online content, citing Apple Inc.'s iTunes as an example of a site where users pay small amounts for a product.

Forbes introduces increased cutbacks

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 8, 2009 at 4:54 AM

Forbes Media continues to eliminate benefits and jobs "across all areas of the organization," MediaWeek reported.

Included in the cutbacks are a suspension of the company's 401(k) match, reductions in salaries for employees making more than US$100,000, and a week-long unpaid furlough. A speculated layoff of 70 employees is also expected.

Chairman and CEO Steve Forbes said in a statement that the cuts have to do with "the unprecedented environment we find ourselves in today and the need for ongoing reorganization of the company," MediaWeek reported.

The restructuring of Forbes has already resulted in 62 posts being made redundant in the end of last year.

Boston Globe raises newsstand prices

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 8, 2009 at 4:52 AM

The Boston Globe has announced it will raise its newsstand prices from 75 cents to $1 in the Boston area and from $1 to $1.50 outside the city, The Associated Press reported.

The cost of the Sunday Globe will rise from $2.50 to $3.50 in the metropolitan area and to $4.00 elsewhere. Fees for home delivery will reportedly remain unchanged. The price hikes are in response to The New York Times Co.'s mandate that the publication's union concede to $20 million in cutbacks and savings. The Times Co. bought the New England Media Group, of which the Globe was the top publication, for $1.1 billion in 1993.

Trade magazine Press Gazette to close

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 7, 2009 at 9:41 AM

UK newspaper industry trade magazine and Web site Press Gazette will close, despite a 50 percent increase in unique users over last year, owner Wilmington Group announced Monday.

The monthly magazine counted 2,500 subscribers, each of whom paid £115 per year, and its Web site tracked approximately 150,000 visitors per month, which marked an increase of 50 percent from the preceding year, Media Guardian reported. The May issue will be the magazine's last.

Star Tribune staffers appeal to community to save paper

Posted by Simon Day on April 7, 2009 at 7:56 AM

Minneapolis Star Tribune staff members have taken the initiative to prevent the newspaper's closure, KARE 11 reported. Monday marks the beginning of an employee effort, appealing to readers to help rescue the newspaper.

Staff are seeking the advice and support of readers to adopt a successful model with the message: "It's your paper and we need your help to save it." The paper has already opened a new Web site and Facebook page and an online site for subscription purchase.

Times Co., Boston Globe unions discuss cuts

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 7, 2009 at 4:57 AM

The New York Times Co. met with unions from the Boston Globe in order to negotiate a solution regarding the $20 million in proposed savings at the newspaper, Bloomberg reported.

The talks have been given a 30-day deadline by the Times Co., which Boston Newspaper Printing Pressman Union President Martin Callaghan said "is sending the message they've had enough of this place."

AP threatens legal action against online news aggregators

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 7, 2009 at 4:48 AM

Associated Press Chairman Dean Singleton announced on Monday that the AP will be on the lookout for unlicensed sites using its content and will not hesitate to take legal action against unauthorised news aggregators, InformationWeek reported.

"We can no longer stand by and watch others walk off with our work," Singleton said in a statement. Licenses have been issued by the AP to search engines such as Google and Yahoo, unlike many newspapers, which have yet to authorise similar news aggregation. The AP is owned by member newspapers.

Journalism students face uncertainty, opportunity

Posted by Simon Day on April 7, 2009 at 4:28 AM

While interest in the profession remains steady, journalism students are having difficulties finding work and are seeking alternative futures outside the newsroom, the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported. Enrollment at the University of Iowa's School of Journalism and Mass Communication has remained strong; however, graduates are finding it increasingly difficult to find jobs as newspapers across the U.S. make staff cuts, and in some cases, close.

Students are changing or adding degrees in fields outside journalism, enrolling in post graduate courses or taking time to travel while the news industry attempts to find a suitable model for the contemporary online environment.

Pensacola News Journal outsources printing, transport

Posted by Simon Day on April 6, 2009 at 3:20 PM

The Pensacola News Journal will outsource its printing and trucking operations in the next 60 days, cutting 84 staffers in the process, the Miami Herald reported. The functions will be taken over by the Mobile Press-Register.

The Gannett-owned Florida paper is the company's ninth newspaper to begin using an outside printer. News Journal President and Publisher Kevin Doyle said the newspaper will also add "direct mail, Web site development and other media services to its product line of weekly and specialty publications," and that other departments will stay in Pensacola, with deadlines and delivery being unaffected.

Times Co. mulls closing Boston Globe

Posted by Simon Day on April 6, 2009 at 12:13 PM

The New York Times Company has said it will close The Boston Globe if it can not reach agreements with staff regarding pay cuts and pension concessions, The New York Times reported.

The company is seeking US$20 million in savings at The Globe in the latest round of cost cutting moves at the newspaper. The potential closure was revealed on The Globe's Web site last Friday after the company informed union leaders of the potential closure on the Thursday. Quoting an unnamed source, the Web site said that without concessions, The Globe would lose $85 million this year.

Online ad growth slowdown expected to continue

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 6, 2009 at 4:23 AM

Internet advertising slowed considerably in the fourth quarter in major markets in the United States and Britain, and in some cases stopped completely, The New York Times reported.

The U.S. saw a slight increase from US$6 billion in Internet ad revenue in 2007 to $6.1 billion at the end of last year. Britain saw its online ad revenue growth begin to decrease as well. The trend in declining online ad sales hasn't been seen since the dot-com era bust.

Spanish language dailies victims of cutbacks

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 6, 2009 at 4:20 AM

Spanish-language newspapers in the United States are suffering, mostly due to the financial problems in their parent companies and English-language partner papers, Carolyn Nielsen, professor at Western Washington University, told Poynter Online's Aly Colon.

Nielsen told Poynter there is a major possibility that "even healthy, well-established Spanish-language dailies could be dragged down by their ailing English-language counterparts," postulating that cutbacks in newsrooms of Spanish-language papers could lead to a lack of "coverage of key communities, forcing editors to fill space with translated stories from their sister papers." Nielsen used the example of cutbacks at El Nuevo Herald, sister paper of McClatchy Co.'s Miami Herald.

FTC tackles honesty in social media site ads

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 6, 2009 at 4:18 AM

The Federal Trade Commission has proposed regulating advertising on social-media sites, paidContent reported.

The U.S. trade body's regulations would monitor sites for "false statements" in blogs and other entries, raising the bar for quality and honesty in online journalism and inspiring fear in trade organisations that worry the new standards could seriously harm the growth of social media sites.

Murdoch: Online free content not a business model

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 3, 2009 at 9:32 AM

News Corp. Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch told the cable industry Thursday that the proliferation of free online content will hinder the success of newspapers' online business models, Dow Jones reported.

Murdoch pointed out that "nobody is making money with free content on the Web except search" and expressed skepticism with regard to newspapers' use of companies like Google to aggregate their content without compensation.

National Post links newspaper to Web via barcodes

Posted by Simon Day on April 3, 2009 at 8:32 AM

Ontario newspaper The National Post, this week began using two dimensional bar codes that allow newspaper articles to be linked to online video and other content via smartphones, MediaPost reported.

The bar code is read by an application available for free download at nationalpost.com in conjunction with the phone's camera. The user is then redirected to the Web browser and the stories online link

Journal Communications cuts pay for execs, managers

Posted by Simon Day on April 3, 2009 at 8:29 AM

Executives and managers at U.S. publisher Journal Communications will take pay cuts of 6 percent, and will receive 10 extra days off as compensation, The Associated Press reported. Chairman and Chief Executive Steven J. Smith made the announcement to employees in a letter, in which he blamed the ongoing decline in advertising revenue as the reason for the cut.

"There is a high probability that this environment will continue for at least the balance of 2009," Smith wrote. "As we manage for the long-term success of the company, we must identify constructive ways to continue to reduce costs."

MediaNews Group to delay debt payments

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 3, 2009 at 3:34 AM

MediaNews Group, which owns the Denver Post, has succeeded in talks with creditors, convincing them to allow a delay in payments for certain debts, Reuters reported.

The agreement pushes back the March 31 deadline for debt payment, according to an agreement with the U.S. publisher's banks. An article in The New York Times Deal Book section said the company has stopped having Standard & Poor rate its debt, in an effort to cut costs.

Hearst requires titles to lower costs by 20%

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 3, 2009 at 3:30 AM

Hearst Corp. has asked its titles to cut costs by 20 percent through various cutbacks in light of falling ad revenue, Bloomberg reported.

Hearst has struggled against the faltering economy, converting its Seattle Post-Intelligencer to an online-only model and negotiating the future of its San Francisco Chronicle, which saw a loss of more than US$50 million last year.

Bliss Communications sells Daily Globe

Posted by Simon Day on April 3, 2009 at 3:29 AM

Bliss Communications announced Monday that ownership of its Ironwood, Michigan newspaper, the Daily Globe, had been sold to a newspaper group in Sheridan, Wyoming, WCLO.com reported. Bliss Communications publishes Wisconsin's Janesville Gazette and is the parent company of Globe Publishing.

"The future of newspapers is small community newspapers," said Gary Stevenson, president of the new ownership group. "Community newspapers are strong because they have commitment and service to the communities they cover and integrity -- something you will not find on national news channels or on the Internet."

U.S. online ad revenue tops record $23 billion

Posted by Simon Day on April 2, 2009 at 7:25 AM

Despite the economic downturn and numerous job losses across media sectors, Internet advertising revenue in the United States reached an all time high at US$23.4 billion dollars, according to the 2008 Internet Advertising Report released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Online is now the third-largest ad-supported medium, according to the report.

The report, conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, revealed full year online revenue up 10.6 percent from 2007's $21.2 billion. In the fourth quarter, revenues hit $6.1 billion, up 2.6 percent from the fourth quarter of 2007, when revenues were at $5.9 billion, the report states.

Pennsylvania papers merge, publish combined edition

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 2, 2009 at 4:09 AM

The Intelligencer Journal and the Lancaster New Era, both published by Lancaster Newspapers Inc., already share a newsroom and plan to publish a combined edition of their paper Monday through Saturday beginning June 29, The Associated Press reported.

The merger is expected to result in the elimination of 60 full-time jobs and 40 part-time positions. The papers have already experimented with this model, publishing a joint Saturday and holiday edition since March 2008.

Gannett to consolidate New Jersey editing operations

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 2, 2009 at 4:07 AM

Newspaper publisher Gannett Co. Inc., has announced it will transfer editorial staff to a regional office in Neptune, New Jersey, New Brunswick Life reported.

The company publishes six New Jersey titles, and plans to cut copy editing and sports desk jobs at four of its newspapers and replace them with 16 regional jobs. Ten management positions are also expected to be cut.

120 employees apply for S.F. Chronicle's buyout offer

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 2, 2009 at 4:05 AM

A minimum of 120 employees at the San Francisco Chronicle have applied for buyout packages, Editor & Publisher reported. The deadline to apply was Tuesday.

The California Media Workers Guild was notified of how many had applied by Chronicle managers. Those who have accepted the offer have a three-day grace period to finalise the acceptance before it becomes official. Therefore, "the final number of buyout applications won't be known until Friday evening," the Guild stated.

Shed Media profits beat expectations

Posted by Uma Dixit on April 2, 2009 at 4:00 AM

Shed Media Group saw profits exceed analysts' expectations as the British TV production company posted adjusted pretax profits of £11.9 million, increasing its share prices by 7 percent, Reuters UK reported today. The surge was attributed to "recommissions in the UK and growth in the United States."

Analysts forecasted profits of £9.75 million. "In the UK, our robust returning brands protect us in a difficult commissioning environment," Chief Executive Nick Southgate told reporters in a conference call, according to Reuters.

Shed produces a couple of shows for the BBC, and Southgate said that relationship shielded it from the current lack of commissioning across the industry that hurt UK commercial television station ITV, Reuters reported.

Livingston County Daily Press & Argus cuts staff

Posted by Simon Day on April 2, 2009 at 3:59 AM

The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus is the latest Gannett Co. newspaper to make staff cuts, The Associated Press reported. The number is yet to be specified but will be a large portion of the paper's newsroom, including higher editorial staff.

General Manager and Executive Editor Rich Perlberg said more than 10 of a team of 95 will be laid off and will include the paper's managing editor. The cuts mark further woes for Gannett Co. which is struggling to keep doors open at a number of its publications amid the economic crisis and advertising slump.

Lake Norman Times to close

Posted by Simon Day on April 2, 2009 at 3:58 AM

Community newspaper the Lake Norman Times has become the most recent victim of the advertising downturn, the Charlotte Observer reported. The weekly paper is published in four counties on the rim of Lake Norman in North Carolina, and will publish its last edition on April 15 and close its Web site, thelakepaper.com.

The Times' owner, Womack Publishing Co. will continue publishing 14 community newspapers in the North Carolina and Virginia regions, said company chief operating officer Diane White.

Reckitt-Benckiser transfers $20m from TV to web

Posted by Uma Dixit on April 1, 2009 at 4:27 PM

In a strategic move to strengthen its online video footing, British household cleaning products maker Reckitt-Benckiser today moved about US$20 million from TV to online advertising for more than 15 of its brands, AdAge.com reported. Until now, the company has spent more than 90 percent of its budget on TV, according to TNS Media Intelligence.

The move was reportedly also fuelled by the need to improve its CPM cost. The company has reported five straight years of growth in sales, and spends $475 million on advertising.

Zillow forms partnership with newspapers

Posted by Simon Day on April 1, 2009 at 11:45 AM

Real estate site Zillow has announced a collaboration with more than 180 newspapers across United States, a move which could help struggling local papers find new revenue sources, The New York Times reported.

The Seattle-based Zillow said it will loan its online real estate search engine to the newspapers. This allows Zillow to target the specific, focused markets of local newspapers, and the newspapers will recieve a share of the Zillow's revenue. The first 100 newspaper Web sites to utilize Zillow start today while the next 80 will be revealed throughout the year.

Philadelphia newspaper unions respond to executive bonuses

Posted by Simon Day on April 1, 2009 at 6:06 AM

Head administrators of the Philadelphia Newspaper Guild said they are furious over bonuses received by top executives at the Inquirer and Daily News, after union members sacrificed a US$25 a week raise in order to support the newspapers during financial difficulties, the Philadelphia Daily News reported.

Philadelphia Media Holdings Chief Executive Brian P. Tierney received a $350,000 bonus and Daily News Publisher Mark Frisby and Vice President of finance Richard Thayer each got $150,000. There were further, smaller payments to other managers.

Newspaper changes name, format

Posted by Uma Dixit on April 1, 2009 at 6:06 AM

Media General Inc.'s Spanish publication Centro Mi Diario has changed its name to Centro Tampa to stand out among similar publications in other markets, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported. The paper will also switch to a tabloid format April 10 to cut costs.

The changes "will make us more efficient and more relevant," Orlando Nieves, general manager of Centro Grupo de Comunicacion, said in a statement. The newspaper serves Hillsborough County in Florida, where 50 percent of the region's Hispanic population lives. The paper has a circulation of 41,000 in Hillsborough.

In other news, Media General's Florida Communications Group announced Monday it will cut 65 jobs from its operations in Tampa Bay, and will also require all employees to take an additional three day furlough in addition to the 10 instated previously this year.

USA Today publisher retires

Posted by Simon Day on April 1, 2009 at 6:05 AM

Craig Moon, publisher of USA Today for the past six years, announced on Tuesday that he will retire on April 17, The Associated Press reported. This marks a second high profile loss for USA Today after Editor Ken Paulson departed two months ago to work at the nonprofit Newseum and Freedom Forum. Moon, 59, said he plans to begin investing in the newspaper industry.

"Certainly, there are a lot of challenges out there, but to me there are also more and more opportunities being created," Moon said. "I am looking at numerous opportunities right now."

Bankruptcy in review: Companies that have filed chapter 11

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 1, 2009 at 4:42 AM

Since the end of last year, five major U.S. newspapers have filed for bankruptcy protection, The Associated Press reported .

The companies include Tribune Co., which owns titles such as The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel, Hartford Courant, which is merging with local television stations, and the Spanish language free daily Hoy in Chicago, whose sister edition in Los Angeles has just become a weekly. Tribune Co. has an accumulate debt of US$13 billion and had $7.6 billion in assets when it filed chapter 11.

Local authorities encourage investment in local press

Posted by Emily Dilling on April 1, 2009 at 4:40 AM

Public and government representatives urged area authorities to increase the amount of public notices they place in local papers at a recent Manchester Town Hall meeting, HoldtheFrontPage.co.uk reported.

Participants in the meeting debated MEN Media's proposal to cut 78 editorial positions. The discussion also addressed the conflict between councils and local press, which are seen as being "penalised" for publishing stories critical of councils.

April 2009 Archives

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