That is the question behind "Outsourcing," a new report published by the World Association of Newspaper’s Shaping the Future of the Newspaper project. The report examines the factors to be considered when deciding whether or not to outsource advertising, printing, human resources, editorial, accounting or other operations.

"Whatever the risks and potential pitfalls, outsourcing is here to stay. The newspaper industry has only recently begun taking tentative steps into outsourcing what were once considered core competencies such as editorial, advertising and circulation. But the trend is gaining momentum," says the report, the second in a series of six annual Strategy Reports from the SFN project.

The report, available exclusively to WAN members, includes case studies, performance measures and a benchmarking model. It also includes the results of a WAN global survey of outsourcing at newspaper companies, which found that distribution, advertising, circulation, editorial and IT were the departments most likely to be outsourced, either fully or partially.

The case studies show how companies are managing outsourcing and the value it produces. The case studies include examinations of the BBC, which outsourced human resources; the Vorarlberg Nachrichten, which outsourced editorial functions; Switzerland’s newspapers, which outsourced advertising sales; Italy’s Il Sole 24 ORE, which outsourced circulation and distribution management; The New York Times, which outsourced printing; Independent Newspapers, which outsourced finance, circulation services and telephone sales; and more.

The table of contents, introduction and BBC case study can be here.

The SFN project, which WAN conducts with five strategic business partners, identifies, analyses and publicises all important breakthroughs and opportunities that can benefit newspapers all over the world.

The "Outsourcing" report and the five other Strategy Reports in the 2006 series -- New Revenue Strategies, Digital Classifieds, New Editorial Concepts, Advertising Science, and Pricing Strategies -- are available exclusively to WAN members. More about the project, and the benefits, can be found at www.futureofthenewspaper.com.

In addition to the annual strategy reports, SFN provides WAN members with a library of case studies and business ideas, and a wealth of other vital information for all those who need to follow press industry trends.

WAN conducts the SFN project with support from five international partners -- PubliGroupe, the Swiss-based international advertising and promotion group; MAN Roland, a leading company for newspaper production systems; UPM-Kymmene, one of the world’s leading printing paper producers; Telenor, the leading Norwegian telecommunications, IT and media group; and Samsung Electronics, a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, and digital convergence technology.

The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 73 national newspaper associations, newspapers and newspaper executives in 102 countries, 11 news agencies and nine regional and world-wide press groups.

Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications, WAN, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: lkilman@wan.asso.fr.