Make your entire newspaper younger Monserrat Lluis, Editor, EnlaCe, El Correo, Spain Ms Lluis went to the last World Young Reader Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, searching for ideas. What she returned with changed her newspaper entirely, and those changes merited her a place on the podium in this year’s event. Ms Lluis has become an advocate of a "Total Youth Think" philosophy -- and by that she means giving everyone, young and old alike, a new approach to the newspaper, based on what younger readers are demanding: interactivity and access. In a wide-ranging and philosophical presentation, Ms Lluis provided numerous examples of how El Correo is opening up to its readers and embracing citizen journalism "to save and to complement" traditional newspaper content. "It no longer seems scandalous to present reader reviews next your newspaper’s movie critics," she says. "We all have a valid opinion, and the right to express it." Here are two other examples of how El Correro is facilitating reader interaction:  Citizen contributions throughout the paper are marked with a special icon so that readers "know that the content was provided by a citizen, non-professional journalist. On the one hand, this emphasizes that citizen contributions are welcome, and, on the other, alerts the reader that what appears under the logo may lack the rigor and professionalism of our regular content, which we continue taking care of to the maximum."  A daily columnist whose job is to have direct contact with readers. "It is not the typical mailbox of letters to the editor, but provides a face and personality to animate the discussion, to participate and respond. To answer is essential. Not a single question or viewpoint, even if it has nothing to do with the newspaper, can be neglected. Better not to open the door to readers than it open it and close it in their faces -- they would feel defrauded." Getting to the kids who don’t read Esben Seerup, Managing Editor, Fyens Stiftstidende, Denmark Even in a newspaper-crazy country like Denmark -- 2 million daily copies for a total population of 5 million -- not enough young people are continuing the newspaper tradition. The reasons for this trend are the same as in many other countries: "because they use other media, because we don’t write for them, because we don’t talk to them," says Mr Seerup. His presentation focused on the Fyens Stiftstidende three-prong strategy for reaching young readers -- develop new media platforms that the young use, get the stories for the young, and understand young readers. The newspaper’s approach includes:  A new, free commuter paper that distributes 25,000 copies daily and targeted to younger readers;  A newspaper web site with a modern approach and 90,000 weekly users;  A radio station, founded in 2005, with 75,000 weekly listeners and a young approach;  The establishment of reviews by children in the culture pages for things like computer games and other products and entertainment that appeal to young people;  An "under-18" news team to produced stories for young people, and a team of student reporters in the schools;  A "Media Lab" at the newspaper headquarters that has attracted 400 class visits and allows the newspaper to "know the young." The goal, says Mr Seerup, is for journalism for the young to be integrated into every aspect of the media house -- every single page and every media must have something for the young reader. Straight from the source Youth ambassadors from seven countries As the conference final presentation, teen-agers from seven countries shared their thoughts on what newspapers can do to better engage them and their peers. The teen-agers, who provide young reader content to newspapers in the United States, China, Sweden, Denmark, South Africa, Dominican Republic and Zambia, commented on all aspects of the newspaper -- online and print, supplements and youth sections, and the main paper itself. Here are some of their suggestions:  A perfect teen section should have it’s own identity and include photo galleries where teens can publish their photos, man-on-the-street interviews, editorials, sports and entertainment, a section for posting messages to friends. It should be staffed by teens -- not only writers but photographers, graphic artists and cartoonists too.  If you don’t get a teen-ager’s interest with a headline or lead paragraph, you won’t get them at all. Witty headlines work. Keep it simple -- tough words are a turn-off.  Always cross reference the print edition with the website -- articles in both should refer the reader to the other. The panel included: Paige Cooperstein, the Reading Eagle, USA; Nolan Eskeet, The Santa Fe New Mexican, USA; Andre Haughton, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, USA; BreAnn Hoffmann, Standard-Examiner in Ogden, Utah, USA; Jack Jason Lengwe, Children’s Press Bureau, Zambia; Jefrey Lu, South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, China; Sonja Magdalenic, Smalandsposten, Sweden; Milena Metrak, Fydenstidninge, Denmark; Khothatso Mogwera, Johncom Learning, South Africa; Clayra Shaira Morales Garden, Listin Diario, Dominican Republic; Gabriella Athena Moses, Virginia-Pilot, Norfolk, Virginia, USA; and John Slack, Tribune Chronicle, Warren, Ohio, USA.