So begins, "The Value of News Content," the latest report from the Shaping the Future of the Newspaper project of the World Association of Newspapers. The report examines a wide variety of strategies for increasing the value of news content for publisher and reader alike.

Details of the report, including an executive summary, can be found here.

The report explores the value from a variety of perspectives:

  Monetary value to sell and resell content through syndicates and third-party resellers reseller like LexisNexis and Factiva.

  Content whose value is growing fast, like mobile and video.

  Preserving value of news and information online, by implementing the Automated Content Access Protocol, or ACAP, technology.

  The value of newspaper and online newspaper readers, as calculated by the revenues divided by the circulation or digital traffic.

  Case studies of newspaper companies that have been increasing the value of their content, including Gannett, Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal and Asahi Shimbun.

  Newspaper companies that are developing strategies to change their editorial departments from the "news judgment" model to an audience-focus model, through developing tailored, relevant news and information and outsourcing "commoditized" content that can be found in countless newspapers and digital sites.

  Studies on the type of content readers want and strategies to develop new products and workflows that are aligned with their desires.

"The market value of news content is driven by three variables: proposition, price and players, that is, the content’s subject, relevance and channel; the competitive marketplace for the content; and the price charged to consumers and partners," the report says. "These three components of content value strategy also deal with the value proposition of newspaper companies’ content to readers and a newspaper’s brand and its corresponding credibility with audience members - the two most powerful currencies to trade on now and in the future."

The SFN reports are available exclusively to WAN members. To learn about the benefits of company membership in WAN, go to www.wan-press.org/membership.

WAN is a leading provider of industry research and analysis through its Shaping the Future of the Newspaper project, which identifies, analyses and publicises all important breakthroughs and opportunities that can benefit newspapers all over the world. SFN provides WAN members with Strategy Reports on these developments, 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 Atex, the leading supplier of solutions and services for advertising, content management, circulation and online applications.

The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom and the professional and business interests of newspapers world-wide. Representing 18,000 newspapers, its membership includes 77 national newspaper associations, newspaper companies and individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 12 news agencies and 11 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.