http://www.sfnblog.com/ en Copyright 2010 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:41:44 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification As a part of the Tribune Co.'s efforts to reduce costs and direct resources to focus on local coverage, the Daily Press of Newport News, Virginia will outsource page design, formatting and editing pages to the company's flagship paper, the Chicago Tribune. This announcement came to the staff at both the newspapers on Monday, the Tribune reported. The transfer of responsibilities from the Daily Press suggests elimination of copy editors and designers, Hampton Roads reported. The newsroom staff will likely be reduced by 15 percent, Digby Solomon, president and chief executive of the Daily Press, told the Tribune. http://www.sfnblog.com/print_data/2010/03/virginia_paper_outsources_page_productio.php http://www.sfnblog.com/print_data/2010/03/virginia_paper_outsources_page_productio.php Employment Print Data editorial staff Outsourcing Tribune Co. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:41:44 -0600 Savita Sauvin Belgium's La Derniere Heure released an edition Tuesday in which all photos and advertisements are in 3D, and readers are given cardboard 3D glasses with every copy, ABC News reported today. Text is not three-dimensional.It took two months to create the 3D edition, which had a print run of 115,000, higher than usual. Editor Hubert Leclercq told ABC News that the paper was following the trend of the recent rise in popularity of 3D films, television and video games. http://www.sfnblog.com/print_data/2010/03/3d_newspaper_published_in_belgium.php http://www.sfnblog.com/print_data/2010/03/3d_newspaper_published_in_belgium.php Print Data print newspaper Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:40:03 -0600 Leah McBride Mensching Sun-Times Media Holdings LLC is planning to invest more than US$5 million in technology upgrades for print and online content, as well as back-office upgrades, Crain's Chicago Business reported yesterday.A new centralised editing system could mean some employees will lose their job, CEO Jeremy Halbreich told Crain's. The project is expected to be finished at the end of the year, he said. http://www.sfnblog.com/financials/2010/03/sun-times_tech_upgrade_could_mean_job_cu.php http://www.sfnblog.com/financials/2010/03/sun-times_tech_upgrade_could_mean_job_cu.php Financials Launches and Closures technology upgrade Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:01:44 -0600 Leah McBride Mensching Aggregators such a Google are often accused of making life more than a little difficult for newspapers - yet the company has spoken out once again, offering advice for newspapers struggling against the ubiquity of online news:In an article by Mercedes Bunz from The Guardian's Digital Content Blog, Google stated that the "key" to newspaper's survival online is "engagement". The statement, issued by Google's Hal Varian, places emphasis on the importance of offering readers interactive experiences but provided little information on specific steps publications should take to go about doing this.For more on this story, visit our sister publication, editorsweblog.org. http://www.sfnblog.com/circulation_and_readership/2010/03/google_newspapers_need_to_engage_online.php http://www.sfnblog.com/circulation_and_readership/2010/03/google_newspapers_need_to_engage_online.php Circulation and Readership Google online news content Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:22:24 -0600 Leah McBride Mensching Online media revenue in the Middle East and North Africa is expected to spike to US$600 million by 2015, from less than $100 million last year, research from global consulting firm Booz and Company shows, The National reported today. Mobile revenues are also increasing, expected to reach $2.7 billion.According to the report, 70 percent of audiences in MENA countries said they spend two hours or more on the Internet each day, while 36 percent said they spend two or more hours watching TV. http://www.sfnblog.com/financials/2010/03/report_mena_region_to_see_jump_in_online.php http://www.sfnblog.com/financials/2010/03/report_mena_region_to_see_jump_in_online.php Financials Mobile online revenue Online trends Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:06:49 -0600 Leah McBride Mensching Newspapers must find new revenue streams outside advertising in order to survive, the CEO of Publicis told the inaugural Abud Dhabi media summit today, MediaGuardian reported."It is not and/or but and/and. We need to have advertising and paid content. Some part of the content could be open and others available on subscription or pay per view," said Maurice Lévy, head of the French advertising group, the third largest in the world by revenue. http://www.sfnblog.com/advertising/2010/03/publicis_ceo_newspapers_over-dependent_o.php http://www.sfnblog.com/advertising/2010/03/publicis_ceo_newspapers_over-dependent_o.php Advertising Business model online advertising revenue streams Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:32:03 -0600 Leah McBride Mensching Newsweek magazine is planning to launch an English-language edition in Pakistan in September, MediaBistro.com reported. Newsweek Pakistan will be the first licensed international news magazine for the country and the eighth local edition under the Washington Post Co.-owned Newsweek brand.Pakistan has a population of 180 million and only about 100,000 copies of English-language publications sold in a day. Newsweek's Pakistan edition will offer both local and international content, and is expected to start off with a print run of 30,000 copies, according to the Financial Times. http://www.sfnblog.com/launches_and_closures/2010/03/newsweek_pakistan_expected_to_launch_in.php http://www.sfnblog.com/launches_and_closures/2010/03/newsweek_pakistan_expected_to_launch_in.php Launches and Closures magazine Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:53:35 -0600 Savita Sauvin Two UK regional papers, Bristol's Western Daily Press and Plymouth's Western Morning News, announced they will merge editors and senior editorial roles, BBC News reported.The two papers will remain unique, but have only one editor-in-chief. Production will be shared between Plymouth and Bristol, but the reporting teams will remain independent, The Herald reported. http://www.sfnblog.com/ownership_and_regulations/2010/03/northcliffes_titles_announce_merger_plan.php http://www.sfnblog.com/ownership_and_regulations/2010/03/northcliffes_titles_announce_merger_plan.php Ownership and Regulations Merger Northcliffe Media Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:19:41 -0600 Erina Lin http://www.sfnblog.com/financials/2010/03/indias_ht_media_surges_on_units_ipo_plan.php http://www.sfnblog.com/financials/2010/03/indias_ht_media_surges_on_units_ipo_plan.php Financials HT Media IPO share price Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:45:47 -0600 Erina Lin The latest addition to paid online content in the United Kingdom comes from Newsquest Media Group. Two northwest dailies of the group, The Bolton News and Lancashire Telegraph, launched subscription-only electronic editions of their titles last week, HoldtheFrontPage.co.uk reported.While the print editions of the newspapers are sold at 40p per copy, the online editions are available at a fraction of the cost, 10p per copy; thereby allowing readers a chance to save money and get news on time. The e-editions use "page-turning" software by PageSuite, used by many local newspapers. http://www.sfnblog.com/launches_and_closures/2010/03/newsquest_titles_launch_subscription-onl.php http://www.sfnblog.com/launches_and_closures/2010/03/newsquest_titles_launch_subscription-onl.php Launches and Closures e-edition Paid content Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:11:00 -0600 Savita Sauvin Google's next move in the online advertising business will be to charge premium prices from brand advertisers for "above the fold" ads, making display the search giant's "next billion dollar business," CEO Eric Schmidt said, paidContent reported.Premium, "above the fold" ad placements will be aimed at top marketers, who will be able to bid against one another for the units that will be placed in the top half of users' screens. Previously, advertisers have not been able to select where ads will show up. http://www.sfnblog.com/advertising/2010/03/google_premium_display_ads_to_be_next_bi.php http://www.sfnblog.com/advertising/2010/03/google_premium_display_ads_to_be_next_bi.php Advertising display ads Google online advertising Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:53:21 -0600 Leah McBride Mensching http://www.sfnblog.com/launches_and_closures/2010/03/usa_today_partners_with_local_paper_to_l.php http://www.sfnblog.com/launches_and_closures/2010/03/usa_today_partners_with_local_paper_to_l.php Launches and Closures Printing and Production Gannett Co. USA Today Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:24:00 -0600 Savita Sauvin Apple's iPad will go on sale in the United States April 3, and will be available for pre-order beginning March 12, TechCrunch reported early this morning. The "magical and revolutionary product at an unbelievable price" will start at US$499, Apple's Web site states.The Wi-Fi models will be available April 3, but Wi-Fi + 3G will be available in late April in the United States, according to Apple's press release. All models will be available in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. http://www.sfnblog.com/mobile/2010/03/ipad_on_sale_april_3_will_newspapers_be.php http://www.sfnblog.com/mobile/2010/03/ipad_on_sale_april_3_will_newspapers_be.php Launches and Closures Mobile digital media iPad revenue streams Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:58:59 -0600 Leah McBride Mensching http://www.sfnblog.com/circulation_and_readership/2010/03/metro_secures_tube_and_bus_contract_in_l.php http://www.sfnblog.com/circulation_and_readership/2010/03/metro_secures_tube_and_bus_contract_in_l.php Circulation and Readership Ownership and Regulations Distribution London Underground Metro Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:57:18 -0600 Erina Lin Newspapers around the globe are innovating their advertising practices in many ways, both big and small, and the best examples were on display this week at the World Newspaper Advertising Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.As advertising and sales revenues are hit both by recession and increasing competition, newspaper companies are rapidly developing a wide array of new revenue possibilities. The conference, which closed on Friday, examined many of the new trends - and some unusual projects that show just how flexible newspapers can be. Two major themes emerged from the conference, organised by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA): better audience and advertising effectiveness research is essential, and the traditional business model for newspapers - gaining revenue from advertising and sales - can be enhanced in a modern media company. http://www.sfnblog.com/advertising/2010/03/innovations_in_advertising_newspapers_de.php http://www.sfnblog.com/advertising/2010/03/innovations_in_advertising_newspapers_de.php Advertising Advertising trends conference Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:04:37 -0600 Larry Kilman