Shaping the Future of the Newspaper Blog: June 2009 Archives

Latvian Post considers 5-day delivery scheme

Posted by Simon Day on June 30, 2009 at 12:41 PM

The Latvian Post, the country's national mail service, revealed that it is considering reducing its newspaper delivery service to five days a week due to a drop in subscriptions and ongoing economic stagnation, Hellmail.co.uk reported on Monday.

The publicly held company has found the current six-day delivery service costly and has asked publishers whether this service is still needed given the dip in subscriptions. The postal service is already engaged in cost cutting measures.

A formal decision is yet to be reached by the company on the change to five-day delivery and would require ministerial approval before implementation.

Cameroon publishers meet with communication minister

Posted by Simon Day on June 30, 2009 at 11:45 AM

Last Wedensday, the newly formed Association of Newspaper Publishers in Cameroon (NEPAC) announced its presence with a visit to the Cameroon Minister of Communication, Jean Pierre Biyiti bi Essam, in which the association discussed communications policy, AllAfrica reported Tuesday.

Led by association President Zachee Nzoh Ngandembou, the NEPAC explained the objectives and plans of the association. This includes the establishment of a self-regulatory body aimed at the growth of a responsible and ethical journalism profession, as well as plans to work in conjunction with the government to help the state introduce and implement social communication policy. The association will also look to the government policy support for increased advertising income.

St. Paul Pioneer Press initiates layoffs

Posted by Simon Day on June 30, 2009 at 2:50 AM

According to a report by a union official, the St. Paul Pioneer Press has started to discharge employees, The Associated Press reported today.

Mike Bucsko, executive officer of the Minnesota Newspaper Guild Typographical Union, revealed that the employees to be laid-off were told this morning. Bucsko would not comment on the numbers involved.

Former Citizen publisher launches new paper

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 30, 2009 at 2:38 AM

Mike Wilcox, the former publisher of the Citizen, is launching a new paper to serve Hamtramck, Michigan, titled the Hamtramck Review, Detroit Web site Model D reported.

After the Citizen shut down earlier this year, Wilcox said he decided to continue where the paper's 75-year run left off by starting the Hamtramck Review.

Illinois paper involves local businesses in auction

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 30, 2009 at 2:25 AM

Illinois' Carmi Times has invited local businesses to take part in an auction that will be held exclusively through their newspaper, The Carmi Times reported.

Times advertising executives plan to contact local establishments and offer them the opportunity to put their products up for auction. A full-page list of the available items will then be published in the newspaper's July 13 edition, along with a "bid ticket" that readers can use to name their price on the proposed merchandise.

Graphic Arts Show Co.'s showcase to focus on newspapers

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 30, 2009 at 2:03 AM

The Graphic Arts Show Co. will hold its showcase, called "Print '09," in Chicago in September, Newspapers & Technology reported. Despite the economic challenges facing those in the print industry, GASC President Ralph J. Nappi said he remains optimistic about the future, as "the industry is experiencing a tough time, but we will survive and the most adaptable companies will thrive."

The show is planned for Sept. 11-16. In light of the dire economic situation, the GASC is planning to offer as much as US$3 million in credit to vendors and exhibitors to help with expenses associated with installation and set up of machinery and booths at the exhibit.

Online propositions aim for the value of journalism

Posted by Simon Day on June 29, 2009 at 12:33 PM

As the bottom has progressively fallen out of print advertising and the economic downturn has left publishers in many parts of the world parched of advertising income, original sources have become increasingly skeptical of giving up their content for free. Many argue that publishers' reliance on advertising online, while not making users pay for content, is flawed, and has sacrificed the perceived value of quality content.

Yet those across the publishing industry are looking for solutions, and two separate initiatives have taken complimentary approaches to the now crucial promotion and defense of the value of online publications. The first, a work in progress, is an attempt to generate circulation revenue from online subscriptions. The second defines a group of communication standards for publishers and authors that attempts to translate the use rights of copyright law onto the Internet. Both aim to give publications an opportunity to defend their content while also creating and marketing a valuable product.
Bide:Brill.jpg

Steven Brill (left), of Journalism Online, and Mark Bide, of ACAP

MinnPost introduces 'real time' local advertising

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 29, 2009 at 10:00 AM

The nonprofit online news site MinnPost will offer "real time" advertising using platforms such as Twitter or RSS feeds to publish updated offers and advertisements for local businesses at under $100 a week Poynter Online reported.

Creator and publisher of MinnPost Joel Kramer said the intention of this new ad format is "to create a fast-paced marketplace, full of advertisers' messages that are newly posted and thus up-to-date."

If it proves to be successful, this new form of frequently updated advertising could supplement losses in ad revenue from national clients, large local businesses and public ordinances.

Thai news service to include blogs

Posted by Simon Day on June 29, 2009 at 9:58 AM

Thailand news service, Thailand-Today.com, has extended its reporting coverage to include a number of popular Thailand related blogs, The Open Press reported Monday. This is in addition to its presentation of Thai breaking news and newspaper headlines.

"The importance of blogs - as a popular form of personal news publishing - is skyrocketing. Blog authors are quick to publish news and express their views on topical subjects. We observe that more and more people read Internet blogs to obtain news, analysis and commentary - also on Thailand related matters," said Amanta Sriwastigul, spokesperson for Thai Today.

Boston Globe faces more concessions

Posted by Simon Day on June 29, 2009 at 7:18 AM

New York Times Co. Chairman, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., revealed that the Boston Globe, already subject of extensive cost cutting measures, is likely to face more concessions in the near future, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

"There will be still more to come," Sulzberger stated in a memo to employees. "The Globe is on a path to a more secure financial future."

Closure of Ann Arbor News leaves city newspaperless

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 29, 2009 at 6:34 AM

The shutting down of the Ann Arbor News next month will result in the first "no newspaper town" in the United States, the Seattle Times reported.

The paper's parent company, Advance, plans to launch an online news site called AnnArbor.com which is said to be a new project that will accept applications from former News staff members, but won't necessarily keep or rehire previous employees.

McClatchy's credit rating downgraded after failure to swap debt

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 29, 2009 at 6:23 AM

Following a mostly unsuccessful attempt to swap US$1.15 billion of its $2 billion debt with noteholders, McClatchy had been downgraded to "RD" status by Fitch Ratings signifying "a default on some but not all" of the company's debt, Editor & Publisher reported.

The downgrade is not an uncommon occurrence in the industry, as credit analyst Mike Simonton pointed out when he wrote that "the ratings reflect Fitch's belief the default is imminent or inevitable. Fitch notes that more than five newspaper groups have filed for bankruptcy protection in the past six months."

Independant News & Media extends repayment deadline

Posted by Simon Day on June 29, 2009 at 6:14 AM

The Dublin-based Independent News & Media (INM) has been granted an extension on the repayment of a €200 million bond, Reuters reported Friday.

The media conglomerate, which had already extended its bond repayments due on May 17 to June 26, was granted a further postponement until July 24 by its principal banks and bondholders.

Jackson's death overwhelms Internet, credible sources win out

Posted by Leah McBride Mensching on June 26, 2009 at 2:53 PM

Although the first news service to report the sudden death of pop legend Michael Jackson was celebrity gossip site TMZ, using anonymous sources, technology writer Mike Elgan reported a fake news story had been created by a non-existent news service, Global Associated News, even before. Also before TMZ broke the story, Twitter users began linking to the fake story at more than 10 p MJ News Peak.jpg

er second for more than half an hour, with Twitter co-founder Biz Stone saying the microblogging site "saw an instant doubling of tweets per second the moment the story broke," which slowed Twitter and at times, even caused it to stop working, PC World reported.

"I can't prove it, but I think TMZ fell for the hoax, hundreds or thousands of news organisations all over the world linked to the TMZ story, but then the fake story became real when Jackson died nearly an hour later," Elgan stated.

Graphic: Akamai Net Usage Index: News

Study: Teens want traditional media too

Posted by Simon Day on June 26, 2009 at 1:19 PM

As part of the annual "What Teens Want" conference, The Nielsen Company has released a study titled "How Teens Use Media." The results show that the younger generation are still using many traditional forms of media.

"The notion that teens are too busy texting and Twittering to be engaged with traditional media is exciting, but false," according to the executive summary. The study shows that teens are making use of all forms of media new and old.

Huffington Post targets international audience with new ads

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 26, 2009 at 12:13 PM

A new deal between the Huffington Post and ad agency AdGent 007 will lead the way to a new ad campaign for the news site, targeted at an international audience, Journalism.co.uk reported.

According to a press release, the advertising company's goal is to "combine its on-the-ground global sales force with modern targeting technology to help The Huffington Post monetize its growing international traffic."

The Huffington Post is not only aiming to enter into the international market, but the hyper-local market as well, with its recently launched New York site, adding to the existing Chicago site and a proposed site that will focus on the Denver community.

GroupM revises advertising decline to 5.5%

Posted by Simon Day on June 26, 2009 at 10:00 AM

GroupM has revised its prediction for 2009's global ad spending decline, estimating a 5.5 percent drop, up from the initial 4.4 percent fall forecast in March. This equates to $417 billion in advertising spending, MediaBuyerPlanner reported Wednesday.

The media analyst group believes the advertising climate will begin to plateau next year, predicting a 1.4 percent decline for 2010, with spending coming in at $411 billion.

Report: Moms use of social media on the rise

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 26, 2009 at 9:56 AM

A research report published by BabyCenter finds that mothers with young children are spending an increasing amount of time on social media sites and less time reading magazines and newspapers, Media Week reported.

The Center's report, which relied on information gathered through a variety of surveys answered by 25,000 participants, found a 52 percent increase in mothers who claimed to frequent social media sites compared to a study conducted in 2006.

DIY social network receives $1 million in funding

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 26, 2009 at 8:27 AM

The DIY social network platform GROU.PS has received a second round of funding from Golden Horn Ventures, which invested US$1.1 million in the company last year and committed to giving the startup another $1 million this year, paidContent reported.

The company reportedly counts more than 100 million users that have created 40,000 online networking groups, putting them in a position to compete with other popular Do-it-yourself sites such as Ning and KickApps.

GROU.PS platform allows users to create photo albums, maps, calendars, amongst other options. Along with basic revenue generating methods such as the use of Google Adsense ads, users of GROU.PS are also able to charge membership fees to the groups they have created.

African American newspaper owners meet to discuss future

Posted by Simon Day on June 26, 2009 at 8:14 AM

This weekend members of the National Newspaper Publisher Association, which represents more than 200 newspapers owned by African Americans, will meet in Minneapolis for the group's annual summer conference, Minnesota Public Radio reported Thursday.

The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder and Insight News are co-hosts of the event. Insight News publisher Al McFarlane said newspapers under the group's umbrella are facing all the challenges of the digital age and the turbulent economic climate, just like other newspapers across the United States.

WAN, IFRA merge into single worldwide news publishing organisation

Posted by Larry Kilman on June 25, 2009 at 12:22 PM

The World Association of Newspapers and IFRA, the leading international associations for print and digital news publishing, have merged into a new organisation, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).

The combined new organisation will represent more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3000 companies in more than 120 countries. WAN-IFRA is dedicated "to be the indispensable partner of newspapers and the entire news publishing industry worldwide, particularly our members, in the defense and promotion of press freedom, quality journalism and editorial integrity, and the development of prosperous businesses and technology."

Online-only article angers print subscribers

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 25, 2009 at 12:03 PM

A Washington Post article that was only published online has left paying readers of the paper's print edition feeling angry and underserved, The New York Times reported.

The article, which recounted the unsolved murder of a Washington, D.C. lawyer, was published on the Post's online edition May 31 and June 1. Its online-only appearance has stirred controversy and debate regarding how newspapers offering both online and print editions should serve their audiences.

USA Today, Qforma collaborate on doctor database

Posted by Simon Day on June 25, 2009 at 11:49 AM

Medical information firm and USA Today have collaborated to publish a physician database called "Most Influential Doctors," Modern Medicine reported Thursday. The database seeks to provide patients with details on and access to "influential" doctors in specific fields across the United States.

Around 6,000 doctors have been included in the first group for publication on the database. Initial categorization includes diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia specialists, with other diseases and conditions to be included quarterly.

Asian Media mogul sees bumpy future for newspaper industry

Posted by Simon Day on June 25, 2009 at 10:04 AM

On Wednesday media businessman Jimmy Lai spoke to foreign journalists on the uncertain future of newspapers and the failure of unsustainable model of free Internet content, AFP reported Thursday.

Lai, the owner of the Apple Daily in Hong Kong and has newspapers in Taiwan, fears for the relevance of newspapers to a generation dominated by new technology and said the industry is confronted by a "problem of survival."

Dutch free daily launches regional editions

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 25, 2009 at 6:03 AM

Holland's free daily, De Pers, plans to launch four regional editions this summer, circulating in Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht, Newspaper Innovation reported.

Following the finalisation of an advertising agreement with free daily publisher Wegener, De Pers decided to concentrate on serving readers in major metropolitan areas of Holland, where Wegener does not currently publish papers.

Newly bought Maine newspapers to balance expenses, add pages

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 25, 2009 at 5:01 AM

In a news conference Tuesday, Richard Connor outlined plans for his newly acquired Maine dailies; the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, the Kenebec Journal, and the Morning Sentinel, the Portland Press Herald /Maine Sunday Telegram reported.

Connor, who will be the editor and publisher of the three papers he bought from the The Seattle Times Co., also owns newspapers in Texas and currently serves as editor and publisher for Pennsylvania's Times Leader, which he owns as well.

The West Australian cuts 9% of staff

Posted by Simon Day on June 25, 2009 at 4:58 AM

The West Australian newspaper has reduced its staff base by nearly 9 percent, after voluntary redundancies exceeded the desired 5 percent, ABC News reported Thursday.

Early in the month the paper announced that it would seek voluntary redundancies in an attempt to cut 5 percent of its work force.

Zimbabwe: Newspaper ad campaign awarded at Cannes

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 24, 2009 at 6:35 AM

A campaign to increase readership of the Zimbabwean has been awarded for its billboard advertisements which were printed on Zimbabwe's paper money the Media Guardian reported.

The Zimbabwean, which has been critical of Robert Mugabe's politics, intended the campaign to call attention to the grim state of affairs in the country. Slogans appearing on the posters included, "It's cheaper to print this on money than on paper", "Thanks to Mugabe this money is wallpaper," and "Z$250,000,000 cannot buy the paper to print this poster on."

Globe and union make 'tentative' deal

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 24, 2009 at 5:49 AM

The Boston Globe has reached a "tentative" deal after month of talks with its largest union, Reuters reported.

The Boston Newspaper Guild is said to have agreed to a deal which includes a 5.94 percent pay cut and changes to contract that would affect job security. The concessions were negotiated down from the Globe's originally proposed sweeping 23 percent pay cut for all employees.

Guild members will vote on the new agreement on July 20. If the union accepts the deal, it could aid the paper's parent company, The New York Times Co., in the expected sale of the Boston Globe.

Sun Newspapers to lay off 115 employees

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 24, 2009 at 5:36 AM

Citing the "economic climate and change in structure," Ohio's Sun Newspapers plans to cut 115 employees by mid-August Crain's Cleveland Business reported.

The cuts are a result of a reorganisation plan proposed by the newspaper chain on June 11, which not only entails lay offs, but also a reduction in publication of 22 weekly papers to just 11 titles.

Premature market opitimism sees media stock suffer

Posted by Simon Day on June 24, 2009 at 4:56 AM

Major media companies saw their stock prices fall as European and United States share markets suffered on fresh economic fears that recent financial rejuvenation could have been premature, Reuters reported Monday.

Recent economic stability had driven media stock prices up and accelerated by market optimism. However many believe predictions of an economic turnaround have come early and growth is unlikely to return until the end of the year. As a result global markets have somewhat choked.

Postponed launch of UDD newspaper set for June 27

Posted by Simon Day on June 24, 2009 at 4:46 AM

Thai political pressure organisation, The National United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, has set a June 27 date for the postponed launch of its newspaper, UDD leader Veera Musikapong said Wednesday, the Bangkok Post reported.

The newspaper will be publish every three days, featuring internal political commentary on the Thai regime and will feature columns by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and leading members of the group

The June 27 launch is the second postponement of the newspaper that was initially meant to be begin publishing in May but was then bumped back to early June.

The State newspaper to cut staff, enforce furloughs

Posted by Simon Day on June 24, 2009 at 3:27 AM

Executives at The State newspaper said that six employees face redundancy and most staff will have a compulsory week of unpaid leave enforced before December, The South Carolina newspaper revealed on its Website on Tuesday.

The McClatchy company owns the newspaper and its accompanying Website, thestate.com. The paper has already faced cost cutting measure, after staff were offered buy outs and others laid off twice in the past 12 months.

Time spent on top online newspapers falters

Posted by Simon Day on June 23, 2009 at 8:26 AM

The time spent by visitors on the top 30 newspaper Web sites experienced stagnation or decline during May, Editor & Publisher reported on Monday.

The study conducted by Nielsen Online data, measured the average time spent per person on the top 30 newspapers' Web sites as defined by unique users.

Guild close to reaching deal with Globe

Posted by Simon Day on June 23, 2009 at 8:24 AM

The Boston Newspaper Guild's president said that the union was close to reaching a deal with The Boston Globe, according to a Boston.com article on Monday. A ratification vote is set for July 20.

''The Boston Newspaper Guild continues to have productive discussions with the New York Times Company and Globe management,'' the Guild's president, Daniel Totten, said in a statement. ''We feel we are close to reaching an agreement that we can bring to Guild members for a vote.''

Small newspapers for sale at reduced prices

Posted by Simon Day on June 23, 2009 at 7:20 AM

While coping with the industry downturn better than their major daily counterparts, smaller newspapers are on the market at record low prices, according to Cribb, Greene & Associates, a brokerage that handles mergers and acquisitions for daily and weekly publications, MediaPost reported Friday.

These smaller newspapers can be found for sale at around four to eight times their earning level before income tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), according to John Cribb, the brokerage's managing director. Just a few years prior the same titles were fetching 10-14 times their EBITDA.

Gannett to cut newspaper staff

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 23, 2009 at 3:47 AM

A recent report posted on Gannet's blog made reference to a memo sent out by Gannett's CFO Gracia Martore in which 4,500 layoffs of newspaper staffers are predicted the Portland Business Journal reported.

According to the blog, Gannett employees should not expect any more furloughs to be imposed this year. However, Gannett's 41,000 employees of their collected newspaper and television stations can only be slightly relieved by this news, given that their industry has already suffered slews of layoffs and salary cuts.

While Gannett officials have made no further comment on the pending cuts, the blog post said that they should be effective July 8.

TruMedia launches social media platform for sports coverage

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 23, 2009 at 3:47 AM

TruMedia Networks is set to launch their sports social media platform, TruFan, today. The site will assemble local sports fans and permit them to interact through posting and commenting on aggregated sports news DMNews reported.

TruMedia's CEO Rafe Anderson commented on the timeliness of the site given the growing gaps in local news coverage saying, "As local content becomes scarce, it will become more valuable."

The site will also allow users to upload videos, stream radio coverage of games, and access up-to-date information concerning their favorite teams. TruFan's business plan counts on revenue through merchandising, advertising, ticketing, blog sponsorships, and e-mail marketing.

Huffingtonn Post goes hyperlocal in NY

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 23, 2009 at 3:34 AM

The Huffington Post and its new CEO Eric Hippeau will launch a site for local news reporting in New York that will consist of a "curated selection of the best New York news coverage, plus a collection of bloggers" according to Ariana Huffington, the site's Editor-in-Chief, paidContent reported.

The New York Observer, Gotham Gazette and the Brooklyn Rail are some of the local news sources that will be included in the collaboration with the Huffington Post. Not included in the list is the New York Times, which is also experimenting with local reporting sites of its own.

Microsoft's bing reports early success

Posted by Simon Day on June 22, 2009 at 12:58 PM

With the addition of the Bing search engine Microsoft has managed to gain on search engine giant Google, according to data released by comScore, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

Microsoft saw its market share rise 2 percent to 11.1 percent during the period from June 2 to 6. Results for the company's average daily penetration, a calculation of the number of people the product reaches, increased by 1.7 percent, to 15.5 percent.

Justice Department to investigate Google, Yahoo, others on anti-trust issues

Posted by Simon Day on June 22, 2009 at 12:51 PM

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the hiring practices of technology companies Apple, Google, Yahoo and Genentech, The Washington Post reported June 3.

The companies have been accused of conspiring with each other to prevent other firms from poaching their top staff. Such arrangements are potentially in breach of anti-trust laws.

INME propses rights offer to raise money

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 22, 2009 at 3:40 AM

The Dublin-based Independent News & Media (INME) has proposed a "deeply discounted" rights offer to its lenders and two principal owners with a view to raise money and pay off a 200 million euro bond, Reuters reported.

Talks regarding the bond's payment have been slow-going as the deadline for payment has been extended from May to 26 June and will be likely extended once more to a July date.

Globe and Mail union members advocate strikes

Posted by Simon Day on June 22, 2009 at 3:12 AM

Union workers at Toronto newspaper the Globe and Mail have voted in near unanimous favour, with 300 votes to 11, to authorise the union to declare a strike, should ongoing contract negotiations prove unsuccessful, Reuters reported Sunday.

On Saturday, 97 percent of the circulation and sales staff voted in support of the decision to strike, according to Brad Honywill, the president of the Local 87-M of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union.

NLA to regulate online links to newspapers

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 22, 2009 at 3:01 AM

The Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA) will include the regulation of hyperlinks to newspapers' online content as part of its licenses starting 1 September, Press Gazette reported.

The NLA, which oversees the use of online news stories by news monitoring services and PR companies, has said that the new license will concern "Web aggregator services...that forward links to newspaper Web sites and for press cuttings agencies undertaking this type of activity."

Plain Dealer employees agree to pay cuts, furloughs

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 22, 2009 at 2:20 AM

Approximately 500 union employees at Cleveland, Ohio's newspaper the Plain Dealer, have agreed to an 8.1 percent wage cut and 11 days of unpaid furlough, Cleveland.com reported.

The employees, which include reporters, editors, and delivery truck drivers, agreed to the cuts two months later than their non-Union colleagues, who agreed to similar reductions in pay in April.

NLA extends licensing coverage to the Internet

Posted by Simon Day on June 19, 2009 at 12:33 PM

The Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA) will next year extend its licensing reach to local and national newspaper Web sites, PR Week reported on Friday.

The NLA will also launch a business-to-business clippings database for online newspapers in January 2010. 'eClips' will provide cuttings aggregators and press cuttings agencies a direct feed of online content from newspapers.

Boston Globe selects date for next contract ratification

Posted by Simon Day on June 19, 2009 at 12:10 PM

The Boston Newspaper Guild has set a date for the next round of contract ratification voting, Boston.com reported on Friday. The July 20 selection comes before the group has even reached an agreement on the details of the latest contract offer from The New York Times Co.

Guild president, Daniel Totten, said the date was set prior to reaching an agreement in order to "mitigate the impact'' of the 23 percent pay cut on union's members. The cut that commenced this week is a result of the June 8 vote to reject the Times Co. contract offer.

Times Union facing up to 45 job cuts

Posted by Simon Day on June 19, 2009 at 11:49 AM

The Times Union has reported that publisher Hearst Corp.'s mission to cut operating costs by 20 percent will see up to 45 job lost at the newspaper, the Daily Gazette reported on Friday. Albany Newspaper Guild President Tim O'Brien said the union would take court action over any layoffs.

"We believe that legally we will have a strong case if they go forward," he said.

Dawson Holdings dropped by News International

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 19, 2009 at 3:34 AM

Dawson Holdings Plc. announced that News International Distribution Ltd. has terminated its contract with the newspaper and magazine distributer, Reuters reported.

The contract termination, which is said to be effective "almost immediately" is one of a series of lost clients for Dawson HJoldings, including the Trinity Mirror and Marketforce, who will not renew their contracts with the company this year. Significant losses were also suffered when Telegraph Media Group, the Associated Newspapers and COMAG pulled out of their contracts over the last year.

Review: May's top 30 news sites

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 19, 2009 at 2:59 AM

Fox News Digital Network and the New York Daily News Online saw a 49 percent year-on-year increase in traffic last month, while the Huffington Post, which saw slight declines, remains a heavily visited site in a Nielsen study of May's top thirty news sites, Editor & Publisher reported.

The top five of the study are, in this order, MSNBC Digital Network, Yahoo! News, CNN Digital Network, AOL News, and NYTimes.com.

Star Tribune Co. seeks Chapter 11

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 19, 2009 at 2:37 AM

After going bankrupt early this year, Minnesota's Star Tribune Co. is now seeking protection under Chapter 11 and proposing a plan to reorganise and cut costs, the Associated Press reported.

Negotiations that have taken place since the Star Tribune declared bankruptcy in January resulted in agreements with 94 percent of the company's unionised employees, the agreed upon plans will lead to reducing staff costs by $20 million per year.

Associated Press to reduce newspaper fees

Posted by Simon Day on June 18, 2009 at 6:48 AM

The Associated Press has said that next year it will drop its fees for newspapers and broadcaster by a combined $45 million, PaidContent reported on Wednesday. The move was prompted by a small group of members who last year proffered their two-year cancellation notice because of the AP's fee structure and the continued decline of newspaper revenue. The AP hopes the fee reduction will relieve some of the economic strain felt by members.

Simultaneously, the news service is pursuing new sources of revenue and cost cutting measures. Tom Curley, the wire service's CEO, said the organisation predicts decreased revenue for 2009 and 2010 and will consequently look to cut 10 percent of its employees.

British Library launches online newspaper archive

Posted by Simon Day on June 18, 2009 at 6:39 AM

The British Library has launched an online headline archive, capturing 200 years of reporting history, the Press Association reported on Thursday. The service, found at http://newspapers.bl.uk/blcs, offers upwards of 2 million pages from 49 national and local newspapers, including the Daily News, Manchester Times, Western Mail, Northern Echo, Glasgow Herald and Penny Illustrated.

Stories digitised include the Battle of Trafalgar from the Examiner and a graphic report on the Whitechapel murders by the Illustrated Police News.

EU asks Sweden to reduce press aid

Posted by Simon Day on June 18, 2009 at 6:39 AM

On Wednesday, the European Commission requested Sweden to decrease its financial support of major city newspapers and to limit operating costs in order to bring its government assistance to the press in accordance with EU requirements, the Guardian reported on Wednesday.

The Commission, which acts as the governing board for the 27-nation European Union to ensure fair competition and trade, said it was not questioning the media pluralism sought by the Swedish administration, according to The Swedish Wire's commentary.

CA Senate rejects bill that would harm newspapers

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 18, 2009 at 5:16 AM

A bill supported by the City Clerks Assosciation of California, has been rejected by the state Senate Committee, who claimed they "weren't prepared to abandon print publishing," Lake County News reported.

The Committee expressed unwillingness to support the bill, entitled AB 715, which would no longer require cities to publish ordinances in local papers, allowing them to post such announcements on their Web sites instead.

Social media reporting successful in heavily-censored Iran

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 18, 2009 at 4:52 AM

Social Media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are proving to be successful outlets for reporting on events following the presidential election in Iran, where news is being heavily restricted and censored by the government, Poynter Online reported.

The microblogging site Twitter has confirmed itself as a particularly valuable resource during recent protests in Iran, so much so that the U.S. government appealed to the networking site, asking it to delay scheduled maintenance in order to keep the site active and updated.

Local UK papers facing widespread closure, analysts warns

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 18, 2009 at 3:55 AM

An analyst has brought the imminent closure of local and regional papers in the UK to the attention of MPs, saying that half of the titles could shut by 2014 if revenue continues to decrease at the same pace, the Guardian reported.

The projection offered by Claire Enders, of Enders Analysis, predicted that newspaper revenues would plummet by 52 percent in the course of a 2007 to 2013 time span. At a hearing addressing the future of regional and local media, Enders told MPs that she expected that "half of all the 1,300 titles will close in the next five years."

The People's Daily to extend local and international coverage

Posted by Simon Day on June 17, 2009 at 11:42 AM

The People's Daily, official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, is set to unveil a new look next month as the paper attempts to expand its coverage and its media influence both in China and internationally, China Daily reported on Tuesday.

The revamped daily publication will increase its output from 16 to 20 pages and will see their 72 domestic and international branches upgraded, according to Tuesday's article by the Associated Press.

Yahoo Newspaper Consortium gains five new members

Posted by Simon Day on June 17, 2009 at 11:36 AM

Despite the attempted sale of the company's help-wanted ad listings - HotJobs, The Yahoo Newspaper Consortium has announced five new members - Freedom Communications' California flagship, The Orange County Register as well as The Gazette in Colorado Springs; the North Jersey Media Group's The Record and Herald News; and The San Diego Union-Tribune, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The new members bring total membership to 814 newspapers.

However, with 592 newspapers from the consortium solely reliant on the HotJobs application for help-wanted advertising many members have expressed concern over its potential sale.

The consortium has remained relatively strong during the newspaper industry's heavy slump. AdAge estimated that the Yahoo association had sold $50 million in Yahoo ad inventory, with "several million" dollars in advertising being added every week.

National Digital Newspaper Program celebrates 1 million pages

Posted by Simon Day on June 17, 2009 at 11:26 AM

The National Digital Newspaper Program on Tuesday celebrated the digitalization of 1 million pages onto its government funded, free access Web site, the Associated Press reported.

This total has already increased to 1.2 million pages and staff believe the archive should eventually reach 20 million pages, extending back to 1836 and covering until 1922 where newspapers began to be copyrighted. The collection is available at the Library of Congress' Chronicling America Web site.

Proposed CA ordinance allows cities to forgo printed ads

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 17, 2009 at 4:06 AM

A California proposition entitled AB 715 will be reviewed by the Senate Local Government Committe today DagBlog reported.

The proposal poses a threat to local newspapers in that it would pave the way for posting of public notices elsewhere and "kill the required publication in newspapers" according to the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA).

PWC study forsees significant losses for newspapers

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 17, 2009 at 3:44 AM

A study conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) predicts losses of up to $13 billion in revenue by 2013 for the North American newspaper industry Editor & Publisher reported.

Declines in advertising revenue are seen as the main source of losses in the print news business, which the study estimates will drop by 32.7 percent over the next three years.

PWC's Global Entertainment and Media Outlook report found that the American newspaper industry is suffering more than its neighbor to the North, where slower decreases in circulation and increased readership of free dailies has helped the Canadian industry.

Job cuts planned at MySpace

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 17, 2009 at 3:28 AM

The social media site MySpace plans to cut 30 percent of its workforce in order to become more "entrepreneurial and nimble" Media Week reported.

After the cuts are made, MySpace, which is owned by News Corp., will see its staff reduced to 1,000 employees for all U.S. branches of the company, a change from what MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta called a "bloated" staff.

Natta said his objective in streamlining the staff is to allow the site to "return to an environment of innovation that is centered on our user and our product." Jonathan Miller, CEO of digital media at News Corp. echoed Natta's intentions saying, "this restructuring will help MySpace operate much more effectively both structurally and financially."

New, heavy import tax proposed for Bangladesh newspaper industry

Posted by Simon Day on June 16, 2009 at 2:18 AM

The Newspaper Association of Bangladesh fears the effects of a budget proposal that will impose a five percent import duty on newsprint, Asia Media reported on Sunday. Association leaders, in a statement on Saturday, revealed their distress with the proposed taxation and appealed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for support.

According to the statement the intended five percent duty will in fact be around 11.5 percent after VAT and regulatory tax.

Amazon's Kindle DX sells out in three days

Posted by Simon Day on June 16, 2009 at 1:55 AM

Amazon's latest version of its e-reader, the large-screen Kindle DX, sold out in three days upon becoming available last week, ChannelWeb reported on Monday. The next shipment of the new Kindle will be available on June 17 according to Amazon.com.

The new generation Kindle offers a larger format 9.7-inch diagonal screen, compatible with periodicals, newspapers and textbooks and retails for $489. As well as a larger screen the DX also offers an increased holding capacity with a 4 GB internal memory, more than double the storage space of the Kindle 2.

MaineToday Media Inc. finds buyer

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 16, 2009 at 1:42 AM

After 15 months of looking for a buyer, MaineToday Media Inc. announced Monday that Richard L. Conner will take over as owner, partial editor and publisher, and chief executive officer of the company the Kennebec Journal reported.

The media group, which publishes the Kennebec Journal and the Morning Sentinel and counts 500 employees, is not planning to alter the format of its publications following Conner's acquisition. "There will be no major changes made in the foreseeable future" Conner said.

Conner bought the Maine media group from the Seattle Times Co., which announced it would sell the company in March 2008, due to decreasing revenue.

Science journalists hold conference in London

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 16, 2009 at 1:33 AM

The World Conference of Science Journalists is scheduled for 30 June in London Press Gazette reported.

The 3-day conference proposes over 30 seminars to journalists in the field which will address subjects such as the role of Public Relations in science journalism, ways to incorporate different forms of media into science reporting, and ways to make use of regional reporting.

Hot topics including the discussions of embargoes and writing about creationism are also on the agenda for the conference, which will take place at Central Hall in Westminster.

Newsquest shuts Brighton printing plant

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 16, 2009 at 1:21 AM

Newsquest will shut the Brighton Argus' printing plant, calling into question the future of 53 employees, who are currently in a consultation period set to last for 30 days, the Guardian.co.uk reported.

Printing for the Argus will be moved 55 miles away from the Brighton plant to one in Southampton. This will be the second printing facility that Newsquest closes after shutting a plant in Colchester last year.

An epected 21 employees will be laid off from the "prepress staff" who work on design and checking editorial pages before the paper goes to print.

Albany Newspaper Guild rejects Times Union concessions

Posted by Simon Day on June 16, 2009 at 1:20 AM

The Albany Newspaper Guild has rejected concession proposals from The Times Union in Albany N.Y, Editor and Publisher reported on Monday. The newsroom staff rejected benefit cuts that would have seen an increase in outsourcing and reduced hierarchical lay offs.

The guild members voted conclusively for rejection of the offer with 125 votes to 35.

"Had the membership approved the company's proposal, we would have respected their decision and been bound by it," Albany Newspaper Guild President Tim O'Brien said in a statement. "The publisher sought this vote, told members how important it was to him that they vote and he needs to respect their decision. Our members were quite clear on what they found unacceptable in the company's offer and they have been telling us what changes would make it acceptable. We intend to seek new bargaining dates and to go forward with a renewed spirit of flexibility."

Village Voice Media launches local advertising network

Posted by Simon Day on June 15, 2009 at 8:28 AM

Village Voice Media, the publisher of 15 weekly papers and daily Web sites as city guides for major U.S. cities, including New York's Village Voice and the LA Weekly, on Monday launched a locally orientated online ad network, the Voice Local Network. The service allows publishers to market their content to local advertisers, utilizing Village Voice Media's strength in local, niche markets, Marketwire reported on Monday.

The network has begun selling advertising for New York based blogs, the Eater.com, Curbed.com and Racked.com, according to an article in AdAge.com on Monday. Other partner sites include music hub Wolfgang's Vault. The network hopes to allow similarly focused publishers to use the Village Voice's strong relationship with local advertising groups in major U.S. cities to reach ad revenue and for advertisers to reach specific target demographics.

Mumbai's Newspaper in Education greets returning students

Posted by Simon Day on June 15, 2009 at 8:20 AM

Newspaper in Education, a daily paper serving a number of Mumbai schools, has returned to publication as students returned to the classroom after the summer holidays, parent publisher the Times of India reported on Monday.

The Newspaper in Education represents both a daily paper angled at young readers and a classroom programme for education and development.

AP to publish content generated by nonprofit groups

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 15, 2009 at 8:00 AM

Starting 1 July, The Associated Press will publish content generated by nonprofit sources dedicated to encouraging investigative journalism Editor & Publisher reported.

The stories, which will come from ProPublica, the Center for Public Integrity, the Investigative Reporting Workshop, and the Center for Investigative Reporting, can be reprinted by newspapers for free, giving struggling papers a way of generating content in light of losses in reporting staff and revenue.

Globe union attempts to stifle proposed pay cuts

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 15, 2009 at 8:00 AM

The Boston Globe's largest union, the Boston Newspaper Guild, plans to hold meetings with officials from the Boston Globe and the National Labor Relations Board in hopes of stifling the 23 percent pay cuts proposed by the New York Times Co. the Boston Herald reported.

The pay cuts follow the union's rejection of a plan which included $10 million worth of wage and benefit concessions. Times Co. has said it needs to find a way to make concessions which would yield $20 million in savings in order to keep the Boston paper open.

Amidst the projected cutbacks, the Guild filed an unfair labor complaint which the National Labor Relations Board is expected to consider this week. The union has also appealed to the Boston Globe's managers, asking them to do away with sweeping plans to reduce wages.

Canwest request union concessions

Posted by Simon Day on June 15, 2009 at 7:33 AM

Canwest Global Communications has requested that union representatives at its newspapers begin negotiations on possible concessions as the company restructures in an attempt to lighten the burden of 3.9 billion in debt, according to the unions and reported by The Canadian Press on Saturday.

The CWA/SCA union, representative for workers at five of Canwest major titles, said it received a letter on Friday from Canwest's president and CEO of newspaper operations, Dennis Skulsky, requesting the pay cuts. The union believes that similar notifications have been given to union leaders at other Canwest papers.

Florida county pulls advertising from local paper

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 15, 2009 at 12:57 AM

Starting this week, Florida's Escambia County Commision will begin looking at an ordinance that will alter the process of auctioning off county property by stipulating that the bidding process take place online, rather than in the local newspaper NorthEscambia.com reported.

Traditionally, the announcement of land auctions was published in the form of a paid legal notice in the region's Pensacola News Journal. Pending the acceptance of the proposal by the Escambia Commision, all information regarding the auction and sale of county land will be posted on an auction site created and controlled by the county.

The site-which will reportedly resemble Ebay-will allow users to make their bids for surplus property online, with the winner of the auction being notified by e-mail once the bidding is over.

Boston Globe attracts potential purchasers

Posted by Simon Day on June 12, 2009 at 6:54 AM

Three Boston businessmen have been said to be interested in the purchase of the Boston Globe, Boston.com reported Thursday.

Just one day after owner The New York Times Co. hired Goldman Sachs, to oversee the potential sale of the paper, sources close to group told the Boston Globe that Stephen Pagliuca, a Boston Celtics co-owner; Jack Connors, co-founder of a major advertising firm and chairman of Partners HealthCare; and Stephen Taylor, former Globe executive and part of the family that owned the Globe before the Times Co. bought it in 1993, are all potential buyers of the newspaper.

Study: Surprise! Pay in newspaper industry up, for some

Posted by Simon Day on June 12, 2009 at 6:50 AM

As the New York Times Co. is set to impose a 23 percent pay cut on Boston Newspaper Guild members at the Boston Globe, and reports circulate about staff cuts and wage decreases at titles especially in the United States, a new report suggests such wage reductions are against the current trend, paidContent.org reported Thursday.

The study by the Inland Press Association found that across 400 U.S. and Canadian newspapers, wages increased by an average of 2.1 percent from 2008 to 2009.

Russian billionaire close to purchasing Independent titles

Posted by Simon Day on June 12, 2009 at 6:42 AM

Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev is close to reaching an agreement on the purchase of the Independent and the Independent on Sunday newspapers, Media Guardian reported Thursday.

Lebedev, who already owns the London Evening Standard acquired earlier this year from Daily Mail & General Trust, is close to closing the deal for the two Independent News & Media owned papers, according to Media Week.

First profits reported for Danish free daily

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 12, 2009 at 3:11 AM

Figures on last month's earnings show that 24timer, a free daily in Denmark, made profits for the first time, Newspaper Innovation reported.

24timer, which is owned by Metro International, speculates that recent cutbacks and increased advertising revenue resulted in profits generated in May. However, 24timer wasn't the only Danish free daily to report increased readers, the dailies MetroXpress and Urban also saw spikes in readership last month.

API: Social networking important for future growth

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 12, 2009 at 2:40 AM

The American Press Institute's latest report, the Newspaper Economic Action Plan, which consists of five new "doctrines" to help the industry survive troubled economic times, specifically addressed the importance of papers' engagement in social media, calling it "extremely valuable market research."

According to the API report, "newspapers can make the leap from an advertising-centered to an audience-centered enterprise," and Poynter Business Analyst Rick Edmonds tells newspapers they "should get on with it immediately."

Journalism students finding jobs in their field

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 12, 2009 at 2:25 AM

Journalism students graduating from both Columbia University and CUNY's Graduate School in New York are finding jobs in their field, surprising to many, as many news outlets cut back, Daily Finance reported Thursday.

At Columbia, 64 percent of Graduate School of Journalism students (194 in total) found employment in their field after graduation.

Union conflict will make Globe sale difficult

Posted by Simon Day on June 11, 2009 at 1:45 PM

The sale of the Boston Globe by The New York Times Co.will be plagued by the potential cost and time involved with contract negotiations with the newspaper's largest union, according to legal and business analysts, Boston.com reported Wednesday.

The Globe yesterday reported that the Times Co. is looking to sell the newspaper it acquired in 1993, a consequence the company threatened should it not find $20 million in concessions from its unions. On Monday, the Boston Newspapers Guild rejected the pay and benefit cuts offered by the Times Co. and said it would take legal action against the subsequent 23 percent pay cut enforced by the Times Co.

USA Today to charge for e-edition

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 11, 2009 at 1:42 PM

USA Today's electronic edition will offer content for a fee, according to the paper's newly named publisher, David Hunke, The Associated Press reported.

The e-edition will be delivered to paying subscribers by e-mail beginning in early August. Although a fee will be charged for the electronic edition, Hunke maintains that access to USA Today's main Web site will remain free.

Hunke's payment plan is also focused on testing to see if "mobile applications" such as iPhone apps may be features readers are open to paying for.

Newspapers work to tender industry survey

Posted by Simon Day on June 11, 2009 at 1:16 PM

Australian newspaper publishers have started a multimillion-dollar fight for the right to conduct the country's first industry-funded and managed readership survey, The Age reported Thursday. As a result of an extended dispute with longtime research provider Roy Morgan, the survey has been offered to local and international researchers for tender.

The industry based readership survey was initiated two weeks ago by industry group Newspaper Works, a product of Fairfax Media, West Australian Newspapers, APN News & Media and News Ltd.

Anschutz may buy Murdoch's Weekly Standard

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 11, 2009 at 1:00 PM

Billionaire Philip Anschutz, who recently took over the Examiner papers in both Washington and San Francisco, may buy Rupert Murdoch's Weekly Standard, an "insider" told U.S. News & World Report.

The purchase of the conservative paper fits with other titles published by Anschutz's company, Clarity Media Group, which tend to print conservative editorials. Recent hirings of conservative columnists Michael Barone and Byron York seem to confirm a trend of publishing papers that lean to the right of the political spectrum.

Anschutz is not considered to be "right wing," however, and insiders say they do not expect much restructuring of the paper under the new ownership, claiming that Anschutz "prefers to make contrarian purchases and then leave the day-to-day operation up to his managers," according to U.S. News & World Report.

Metro International to sell 80% of Portuguese title

Posted by Simon Day on June 11, 2009 at 12:23 PM

Free newspaper publisher Metro International is set to sell an 80 percent share in Transjornal Edicao de Publicacoes, the publisher of Metro Portugal, to Portuguese company Holdimedia SGPS SA, according to a statement released by Metro, posted by Trading Markets.

As part of the sale, Holdimedia, now the majority owner, has entered into a franchise agreement with Metro International, which will continue to publish the free Portuguese title.

Boston Globe may be sold after union rejects cuts

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 11, 2009 at 2:48 AM

Following a rejection by the Boston Globe's largest union of the concessions proposed by parent company The New York Times Co., reports are circulating that the Boston paper may be up for sale, NECN.com reported.

The Globe published an article declaring its parent company's intention to sell the paper in order to make up for losses linked to the unprofitable title. The paper has also reported that Goldman Sachs is working with the Times Co. to broker the sale if a buyer is found.

When asked to comment on the future of the Boston paper, money manager John Morris seemed optimistic, saying, "The Boston Globe is really one of those marquee brands" adding that not only could the paper's long tradition of publishing be attractive to potential buyers, but also the fact that "they also have Boston.com, which has some value as well," according to NECN.

Craigslist predicted to post revenue of $100 million

Posted by Simon Day on June 10, 2009 at 9:59 AM

Online classified ad site Craigslist is forecast to earn more than US$100 million in revenue for 2009, according to a new Classified Intelligence report, published by AIM Group, a media and Web consultant firm in Orlando, Fla, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

This revenue estimate is a 23 percent increase from 2008 and giant jump from 2004 when the site earned about $9 million.

New daily set for launch in Detroit

Posted by Simon Day on June 10, 2009 at 9:55 AM

Veteran publishers, brothers Mark and Gary Stern, on Tuesday announced plans to launch a privately funded daily newspaper to compensate for the reduced home delivery of Detroit's two major dailies, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

The brothers said they hope to publish the first issue of the Detroit Daily Press within 60 days. The Daily press is expected to sell for 50 cents daily and $1 on Sundays.

Digg CEO: Company 'targeting profitability'

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 10, 2009 at 7:43 AM

In an interview with Fox News' Liz Clayman, Digg's CEO Jay Adelson said the company is counting 1.5 billion hits of its Digg buttons on a wide variety of Web sites every month, and those figures are growing by 100 to 200 million per month, paidContent reported.

The company also hopes to be "targeting profitability this year" and projects profits once it starts generating ad revenue. "Media buyers like our space" Adelson said in the interview, adding that Digg's ads sell for as much as 10 to 20 percent more than they would in the domain of social media.

West Australian newspaper seeks 5% staff cut

Posted by Simon Day on June 10, 2009 at 7:08 AM

The West Australian newspaper has called for its staff to volunteer for redundancy as it seeks to shrink its pay roll by 5 percent, ABC News reported Tuesday.

The announcement was made following the close of trade on the Australian Stock Exchange Tuesday, Perth Now reported. According to sources at the newspaper, redundancies are likely to eliminate 60 to 70 jobs, 15 of which will come from the editorial department.

Huffington denies blog is 'killing newspapers'

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 10, 2009 at 1:33 AM

Ariana Huffington told journalists in New York that she "shouldn't be blamed for killing newspapers," the San Jose Mercury News reported.

Huffington cited factors such as the economic downturn and the success of the classified ads site Craigslist as elements that have led to the financial crisis facing newspapers, especially in the United States, today. She continued to defend her site, which aggregates news without paying for it, and stressed the importance of focusing less on saving newspapers and more on saving journalism.

Recently, Syracuse University school of journalism awarded Huffington a lifetime achievement award for her site, the Huffington Post, which has been operational since 2005.

NUJ lays out plan to aid local news

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 10, 2009 at 1:09 AM

The United Kingdom's National Union of Journalists has proposed an eight-point plan intended to support local news to Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw, Press Gazette reported Tuesday.

The union's general secretary, Jeremy Dear, claimed the plan "could be implemented by government as a strategic and coordinated response to the decline in local media. Any action must focus on improving investment in local journalism - ensuring communities get the quality of news they deserve."

Boston Newspaper Guild rejects pay cut

Posted by Simon Day on June 9, 2009 at 10:24 AM

The Boston Globe's largest union on Monday rejected the proposed US$10 million wage and benefit cuts proffered by owner New York Times Co., which later announced, as a consequence of the failed negotiations, a 23 percent pay cut for all Guild union members beginning next week, Boston.com, the Globe's Web site, reported Monday.

The pay cut could quickly transfer the disagreement to the National Labor Relations Board and federal courts. The Boston Newspaper Guild, representative of almost 700 editorial, advertising, and business office staff, said it would file for unfair labor practice and hope to block the pay cut with a court order.

Newport Daily News explores charging heavily for online access

Posted by Simon Day on June 9, 2009 at 10:15 AM

The Newport Daily News is experimenting with a previously untested approach to charging for online content - the cost of an Internet only subscription will be more than the subscription to the newspaper's print version, the Nieman Journalism Lab reported Monday.

The newspaper plans to plug the paper-and-ink format by making it more financially attractive than the online equivalent, while bringing in cash from those who are forced to use the online version. The Rhodes Island 12,000-strong circulation paper is published in a traditional afternoon edition on weekdays and a morning edition on Saturdays.

Murdoch predicts a paperless print industry

Posted by Simon Day on June 9, 2009 at 6:03 AM

Rupert Murdoch, the vocal CEO of New Corp. and media mogul has prophesied a paperless newspaper industry, Fox Business reported Monday.

"I can see the day - and it may be 20 years away - where you don't actually have paper and ink and printing presses," Murdoch said Monday morning in an interview with Fox Business's Neil Cavuto. News Corp. is the parent company of Fox.

Journalist proposes new approach to an old model

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 9, 2009 at 5:00 AM

In a piece written for paidContent.org, Richard J. Tofel proposes a new way of "remaking" newspapers and "rethinking the role of the print paper."

Formerly the assistant publisher of the Wall Street Journal and now the author of "Restless Genius: Barney Kilgore, The Wall Street Journal, and the Invention of Modern Journalism," Tofel cites Kilgore, a previous Journal publisher, as an example of someone who helped push newspapers into the future. Tofel contends the 32-page format adopted by the WSJ under Kilgore's lead was the optimum amount of content for the busy reader looking for "only essential material."

Free papers hunker down amidst economic storm

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 9, 2009 at 4:32 AM

Free newspapers are not weathering the economic crisis any better than their paid-for counterparts. Last year, global circulation was at 40 million, and in Europe alone circulation has fallen more than 10 percent this year, The New York Times reported.

Several dailies have also recently stopped publishing, including Spain's oldest free daily Mini Diario. The problems facing free dailies are the same that threaten paid newspapers; however, the economic downturn, which has led to advertising losses, is affecting free papers to a greater extent, as advertising is their sole source of revenue.

Study: Advertiser spending drops 12%

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 9, 2009 at 4:24 AM

A Nielsen study shows first quarter ad spending in the United States has dropped by 12 percent from last year, Media Post reported. The approximate total drop adds up to a difference of $3.8 billion.

Of the media studied, Spanish and English-language cabel television was the least affected by the decline in advertiser spending, while Sunday editions of newspapers saw a staggering 37.7 percent drop in ad revenue, with national newspapers suffering a 27.7 percent decline.

Annie Touliatos, vice president of sales development for the Monitor-Plus department at Nielsen said the results "will hardly come as a surprise to an advertising industry that's struggling just like many other areas of the American economy."

Tribune Co. negotiates debt reorganisation with creditors

Posted by Simon Day on June 8, 2009 at 12:25 PM

Chicago-based Tribune Co. is in talks with creditors that hold US$8.6 billion in debt as part of the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The negotiations could see the control of the media group taken from billionaire owner Sam Zell and left instead with the group of large banks that hold the company's senior debt, according to a Chicago Tribune report Monday.

The debt rearrangement discussions are focused on a "debt for equity swap" that would leave the senior creditors with a significant majority ownership in Tribune Co.

Mediabids launches new advertising auction

Posted by Simon Day on June 8, 2009 at 12:23 PM

Newspaper and magazine advertising group Mediabids.com, has launched a new auction product that allows advertisers to efficiently group and compare the cost of advertising across numerous titles, the group announced in a press release Monday.

"Auction by Size" invites print publications to tender prices for placing advertisements based on the requirements of the advertisers campaign. The publications may then "bid" on the pricing offer that suits their advertising needs. The advertiser is free to purchase as many of the bids, or place as many ads, as required.

UK newspaper office survives closure

Posted by Simon Day on June 8, 2009 at 12:18 PM

Northcliffe Media title Sevenoaks Chronicle has escaped relocation, a possible consequence of the UK group's cost cutting maneuvers, Holdthefrontpage.co.uk reported Monday.

The newspaper will continue to operate from the town of Kent after Northcliffe's plan to move staff to Tunbridge Wells was cancelled. The proposed move was a small part of the media group's extensive cost-cutting plans, including a number of redundancies, the coalescence of publications and construction of a central subbing hub for the group's South East Weeklies division in Chelmsford.

Spain loses oldest free daily

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 8, 2009 at 8:16 AM

Mini Diario, Spain's oldest free daily, has shut down after 17 years of publication, Newspaper Innovation reported.

The free paper was launched before 20 Minutos and other prevalent dailies arrived in Spain. Mini Diario's circulation totaled 60,000 including its Valencia and Alicante editions.

The paper was acquired and redesigned by Ediciones y Publicidad in 2006. Despite the makeover, Mini Diario's Alicante edition shut last year, followed by its Valencia edition and ultimately its final edition, which closed last summer.

Media group buys online news site publisher

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 8, 2009 at 7:27 AM

William Reed Business Media has acquired Decision News Media, which publishes a variety online news sites geared for specific audiences, Journalism.co.uk reported.

Decision News Media runs 18 Web sites, including FoodNavigator.com, and several e-newsletters in the field of food and health, pharmaceutical and cosmetics.

High school paper goes online-only

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 8, 2009 at 6:02 AM

Bessemer City High School's newspaper has opted to publish exclusively online as a result of insufficient funding, the Gaston Gazette reported.

The North Carolina high school's students can now access their paper through the school's official site. Though online publication is in its early stages, the editors hope to produce monthly editions, and content would include news, games, and community events.

Johnston Press makes extensive evaluations of Irish branch

Posted by Simon Day on June 5, 2009 at 11:31 AM

Johnston Press will evaluate "everything" at its Irish-based newspapers and printing operations but is yet to make a formal decision on any cutbacks, the company's Irish head said on Thursday, The Irish Independent reported Friday.

The UK incorporated Johnston is reviewing the operations of its Irish branch as it attempts to cut a further £30 million to offset the ongoing declines in advertising revenue.

Group M predicts the loss of household names

Posted by Simon Day on June 5, 2009 at 6:04 AM

The world's largest advertising firm, Group M, announced it believes advertising revenue for print media will decline much more than expected, leaving some smaller publications without any ad income, The London Daily Times reported Friday.

The ad agency's claims rejects other industry predictions that see newspaper advertising sectors recover in the second half of this year, and instead claims the decline could see a dozen magazines and newspapers, including some "household names," forced into closure. The agency believes the smaller and economically weaker publications will fall by the wayside, while the larger papers are able to survive the downturn.

Woman accused of placing false ads to increase income

Posted by Simon Day on June 5, 2009 at 4:57 AM

A Nebraska newspaper ad saleswoman has been arrested for theft, accused by police of placing false ads in the newspaper she works at in order to increase her income, The Associated Press reported Friday.

The woman earned a salary based on the size of the paper, and according to Police Officer Katie Flood, was found to be placing a number of fake advertisements after the owner began calling the businesses requesting payment and was told they had not bought any ads.

She worked for the Lincoln Weekly, a newspaper launched in Lincoln, Nebraska, in January. Police said the woman had placed $12,000 worth of false advertising in the paper, according to the AP article, posted by Media Guardian.

Thai UDD launch newspaper

Posted by Simon Day on June 5, 2009 at 3:43 AM

Thai anti-government movement, the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), also known as the red-shirts, is set to launch a newspaper on Friday titled The Red News, Xinhua reported Thursday.

The UDD had hoped to release its first issue in mid-May. "The first edition of Red News will be distributed nationwide featuring political news at national and local levels," editor Somyos Prueksakaemsuk said. The editor added that the newspaper would also include "concentrated content" on the activities of the group.

Telegraph signs up for user-generated newswire

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 5, 2009 at 2:11 AM

In a decision that will allow readers to post stories and photos which will be shown on the paper's online editon, the Telegraph has subscribed to a user-generated newswire called Demotix Press Gazette reported.

The Demotix widget will be embedded on the World News page of Telegraph.co.uk, and will shuffle through content provided and posted by its 5,600 international users.

Chicago media group takes over 13 Michigan weeklies

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 5, 2009 at 1:48 AM

The Chicago media group, JAMS Media, plans to purchase 13 Michigan weeklies from the Journal Register Co., Editor & Publisher reported.

The acquisition has been approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court at the end of May. The Journal Register filed for Chapter 11 in February.

Globe union speaks out against Times Co.'s management

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 5, 2009 at 1:39 AM

The Boston Newspaper Guild's president has publicly criticised the management methods of the Boston Globe's parent company, the New York Times Co. The Associated Press reported.

Daniel Totten, the union's president, said the Times' executives made "wretched" decisions while managing the company and failed to require the same concessions for themselves as they demanded from their titles.

Totten did not, hoever, suggest the Guild vote down the proposed contract agreement that would result in an 8.3 percent pay cut and a week of unpaid furlough, the AP reported. The Times Co. has said if the contract is refused, they will implement a 23 percent across-the-board pay cut.

Apple patents way to insert media in phone calls

Posted by Leah McBride Mensching on June 4, 2009 at 7:21 AM

Users may no longer have to end a voice call to share media files on their mobiles, thanks to Apple Inc.'s patenting of a new method to share media in phone calls, AllHeadlineNews reported Thursday.

If Apple launches the programme, iPhone users will be able to send images, video, music and other types of files to one another while on a voice call.

API recommends newspapers charge for online content

Posted by Leah McBride Mensching on June 4, 2009 at 6:53 AM

After considering all options news Web sites have for monetizing online content, the American Press Institute announced in a white paper released last week that newspapers should embrace all of them, moving from "an advertising-centered to an audience-centered enterprise."

The Newspaper Economic Action Plan, released at a Chicago summit for newspaper executives, supports both subscriptions and micropayments, as well as a combination of the two, as advertising has proven to not be enough to support content creation, especially in the current global financial downturn, Poynter Online reported.

UK's Sunday Times launches separate online edition

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 4, 2009 at 6:49 AM

The Sunday Times plans to launch its own online edition, which could eventually charge for content, Media Guardian reported Wednesday.

Until now, Sunday Times content has appeared online along with its daily counterpart, The Times, under the title TImes Online. Though the launch date is uncertain, the new site would be devoted to the Sunday Times content only.

Free daily publisher adds sports title

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 4, 2009 at 3:15 AM

Vincent Bolloré, who publishes free dailies including the Direct Matin and Direct Soir in Paris and other "Direct" titles in Nantes, Nice, and Toulouse, is planning to publish a free sports weekly, Newspaper Innovation reported.

The free weekly, titled Direct Sports, will make its debut June 12 and will be distributed every Friday along with Direct Soir. Direct Sports plans to elicit the help of sports journalists who worked for the recently shuttered magazine Sport.

Printing plant closure results in 88 jobs lost

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 4, 2009 at 3:05 AM

Hamsworth Printing's plant in Bristol will close this week, resulting in the loss of 88 jobs HoldtheFrontPage.co.uk reported.

Northcliffe Media, whose titles were printed at the plant, will now move operations to their plant in Didcot, 40 miles away from the Bristol site. Two of Northcliffe's titles, the South Wales Evening Post and the Metro editions serving Southern and South Western Wales will be printed in either Cardiff or Birmingham.

The decision to shut the plant down came after a four week "consultation period" that resulted in the decision to shut the plant and lay off 88 employees.

Google promotes e-books offerings

Posted by Simon Day on June 3, 2009 at 9:51 AM

Google intends to sell and distribute e-books on behalf of its publishing partners within the year, according to an InformationWeek article out Monday.

"We've consistently maintained that we're committed to helping our partners find more ways to make their books accessible and available for purchase," Google spokesman Gabriel Stricker said in an e-mail, according to InformationWeek. "By end of this year, we hope to give publisher partners an additional way to sell their books by allowing users to purchase access to partner program books online. We want to build and support a digital book ecosystem to allow our partner publishers to make their books available for purchase from any Web-enabled device."

Northcliffe Media sites go green

Posted by Simon Day on June 3, 2009 at 9:43 AM

Northcliffe Media's "thisis" family of Web sites are set to introduce a new environment section, as part of the growing popularity of the group's green focus, Holdthefrontpage.co.uk reported Tuesday.

The Web sites' environmentally conscious approach is part of collaboration with Northcliffe's green Web site, Big Green Switch, which has been upgraded for the partnership.

Chinese-language newspaper launched in Botswana

Posted by Simon Day on June 3, 2009 at 9:39 AM

The Oriental Post, a Chinese-language newspaper, was launched in Gaborone, Botswana on Friday, making it the first paper to serve the Southern African Development Community's Chinese population, Mmegi reported Tuesday.

Miles Nan, president of the Oriental Post, said he hopes the newspaper will enable better communication between service providers and product developers wanting to reach the Chinese community in Botswana. Nan said the fact that "most of the Chinese do not understand English and speak very little Setswana" has created a large information and communication barrier for the Chinese population in Botswana.

McClatchy sells newspaper building

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 3, 2009 at 1:06 AM

The Bellingham Herald's parent company, McClatchy Co., has sold the Washington newspaper's building for US$2.35 million, the Herald reported.

The sale was finalised Tuesday, when two Bellingham investors from Herald Building LLC purchased the six-story building. Bob Hall, one of the directors of the company, said the neon Herald logo on top of the building will stay put.

Study: Metro's population growing with young Canadians

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 3, 2009 at 12:45 AM

A new Newspaper Audience Databank study shows free daily, Metro is a growing favourite among young readers in Edmonton, Canada, young readers Metro News Calgary reported.

Metro's circulation in Edmonton was up by 24 percent in 2008 in the 18 years and older demographic, according to the NADbank study.

MediaNews Group's offers print-at-home 'individuated news'

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 2, 2009 at 4:35 AM

MediaNews Group plans to offer personalised newsletters to be printed in the homes of Denver readers this week Poynter Online reported. The company, which has rather secretly been developing its Individuated News project, intends for the print-at-home experiment to extend to include 25 homes, followed by 60 visitors residing at the Marriott Hotel sometime next month.

The new print-at-home technology will be installed in 300 readers' homes in Los Angeles in late summer, where MediaNews Group publishes the Los Angeles Daily News.

Scottish teenagers may receive free newspapers

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 2, 2009 at 4:24 AM

The Scottish government is considering backing a plan which would provide free newspapers for a year to 17-year-old Scots, Press Gazette reported.

The project is proposed by the distribution firm Menzies Group, which has appealed to Scotland's enterprise minister Jim Mather in hopes to secure free subscriptions for Scotland's teenagers.

1Q ad revenue down 30% for U.S. papers

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 2, 2009 at 4:13 AM

The Newspaper Association of America has data showing a 30 percent drop in ad revenue for U.S. newspapers in the first quarter of the year, the largest decrease seen in the past 38 years, The Detroit News reported today.

The NAA reported a drop in revenue from $2.5 billion to $5.92 billion in the course of one year amongst newspapers, while online ad revenue saw a slight decrease of 13 percent, claiming $696.3 million in first quarter revenue this year.

The Bulletin publishes last issue

Posted by Simon Day on June 2, 2009 at 4:09 AM

Philadelphia's conservative newspaper, the Bulletin, published its last issue on Sunday and staff were today told of the papers eminent closure on Monday afternoon, Philly.com reported Monday.

Publisher Thomas G. Rice told staff Monday the newspaper could not afford to continue publishing, according to employee statements.

WAN, PPF and others unite for Czech journalism project

Posted by Simon Day on June 2, 2009 at 4:02 AM

Google has joined the World Editors' Forum, mobile phone company O2, media software company Atex, Masaryk University and investment and media group PPF to launch journalism innovation initiative FUTUROOM in the Czech Republic, WAN announced last week. , the Guardian reported on Monday.

The Paris-based WAN, of which SFN is part of and under which the World Editors' Forum also operates, looks to train professional journalists in new multimedia disciplines, educate the public on the use of contemporary media forums and establish a collaborative relationship between publisher and audience.

Playboy Inc. announces new chief executive

Posted by Simon Day on June 2, 2009 at 3:28 AM

Playboy Enterprises Inc, the iconic adult entertainment publisher and brand name, announced a new permanent chief executive on Monday, newspaper publisher Scott Flanders, Reuters reported Monday.

Flanders will take over from interim Chief Executive Jerome Kern at a time when Playboy is facing significant advertising revenue declines, competition from online pornography and rumors of the company's sale.

Metro buys majority of shares in St. Petersburg paper

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 1, 2009 at 1:47 PM

Metro International has become the majority shareholder in the St. Petersburg Metro, owning 58.5 percent combined shares and capital in the Russian freesheet, which will now function as a franchise of its parent company, Newspaper Innovation reported.

Metro International has also offered an update on its sale of U.S. titles to Seabay Media Holdings, saying the deal should be finalised by 3 June this year.

Register-Guard to print smaller paper

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 1, 2009 at 1:32 PM

The Eugene Register-Guard has announced it will modify its printing press in order to produce a smaller paper, The Associated Press reported Monday. The approximate cost of the modifications is said to be US$1.2 million.

The Oregon paper's production director, Janet Owen, said the investment reflects the paper's intention to "be around for the long haul." Altogether, the paper will lose 1 1/2 inches and some columns in the sports and classifieds sections. The changes in format will also be accompanied by an intensified attention to local news and reporting.

Kyrgyzstan publishers association joins WAN

Posted by Simon Day on June 1, 2009 at 7:07 AM

The Kyrgyzstan Association of Publishers and Distributors of Print Media has joined the World Association of Newspapers, WAN announced Saturday.

The Kyrgyzstan association was formed in 2008 in an attempt to improve press freedom and protect the business opportunities available to the country's newspaper industry. Kyrgyzstan was ranked 111th out of 173 in the World Press Freedom Index complied by Reporters Without Borders.

Talking Newspaper goes digital

Posted by Simon Day on June 1, 2009 at 6:34 AM

The UK-based Wymondham and Attleborough Talking Newspaper is switching to digital, The Wymondham and Attleborough Mercury reported Sunday. The newspaper for blind and partially sighted people received two donations from local businesses allowing the transition to digital format.

The talking newspaper was founded 11 years ago and serves 60 of the community's sight impaired members.

Trade union launches paper for union members

Posted by Simon Day on June 1, 2009 at 6:30 AM

In a conjunction with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, a free online newspaper titled the Union Post launched its first pilot issue, The Sunday Business Post of Ireland reported. Joe Mitchell, joint editor of the online publication wants the newspaper to act as an information service for other trade unionists.

Mitchell described the paper's initial format as A4 PDF, which he and co-editor Bob Millar, both trade unionists, said "allows a certain amount of flexibility." They plan to also launch an online site for the paper.

Detroit newspapers to see more staff reductions

Posted by Emily Dilling on June 1, 2009 at 6:24 AM

Rich Harshbarger, vice president of consumer marketing at the Detroit Media Partnership, has announced 129 layoffs are planned at the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press, Editor & Publisher reported.

The cuts will come from both editorial and management sections of both the partnership and the newspapers it operates, with the Detroit News losing 5 percent of its staff and the Free Press seeing 10 percent of its staff cut.

Harshbarger attributed the decision to problems due to the economy as well as severe drops in advertising revenue for the papers.

June 2009 Archives

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