The latest edition of the SFN Flash contains 163 items on 66 topics of concern to media executives everywhere. In addition to global and regional trends, newspaper developments in 42 countries are included. The full text version (a headline version also exists) runs to 64 full pages.
The monthly Flash is one of the benefits of the SFN project of the World Association of Newspapers, which identifies, analyses and publicises all important breakthroughs and opportunities that can benefit newspapers all over the world. SFN provides WAN members and subscribers 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. More on the project can be found at www.futureofthenewspaper.com.
WAN conducts the SFN project with support from six international partners -- PubliGroupe, MAN Roland, UPM, Unisys, Telenor, and Samsung Electronics.
The latest edition of the SFN Flash compiles information on media markets, advertising, circulation, printing and production systems, online and digital publishing, editorial content, young readers, management, media laws, copyright, ownership, and labour and employment.
Here is a sample:
 Aegis, owner of Europe’s largest media buyer, says it believes the advertising recession in Europe was "largely over", predicting growth of four per cent this year.
The consultancy group Cap Gemini Ernst & Young concludes that carmakers are ‘wasting money’ by advertising on TV and print media and that the industry ‘must gain a better understanding of how consumers shop for vehicles and what factors lead them to buy’. The consultancy, which studied consumer buying behaviour in Europe and the US, believes that automakers’ margins could be boosted by switching out of mass media and into targeted alternatives such as direct mail.
Since the Chinese government started to reform state-owned newspapers seven months ago, 677 government and Party newspapers have been shut down. The government is trying to eliminate mandatory subscriptions to government and party newspapers and compel newspapers to become self-supporting.
The Indian afternoon daily Mid-Day has surprised its readers with a "dawn" edition. Editor Aakar Patel says the new edition is positioned as an alternative to the available morning newspapers and differs from the afternoon edition, with emphasis on delivering news in a compact form.
BBC Online is under fire from the UK’s regional newspaper representative body, which claims that it threatens their commercial interests. The Newspaper Society has made a written submission to the government’s review of BBC online, saying there is evidence that some local BBC websites are giving free publicity to advertisers that would normally use newspapers.
Free dailies are now being read by 19 percent of the urban population in 11 European countries - an increase from virtually nothing 10 years ago to the present figure of 12 million readers.
Newspapers in Croatia and Bosnia have a new way of boosting their sales - by offering books along with copies of the paper.
More Americans are reading newspapers today, but spending a little less time with them when they do, according to a survey released by the US Readership Institute, a division of the Media Management Center at Northwestern University.
Norway’s first Internet only newspaper, Nettavisen, came out in print for the first time on March 19. The special edition in tabloid format was given away for free on city streets.
The SFN project compiles the Flash from dozens of sources world-wide. The Flash is available exclusively to SFN subscribers and WAN members; to become a member, click here. To subscribe to SFN, go to www.futureofthenewspaper.com.
The six SFN Strategy Reports to be published in 2004 will be released in June at the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum (www.wan-press.org/istanbul2004/ and will cover: New Classified Models; The Mobile Opportunity; Circulation Winners; Newspaper Development in Emerging Markets; New Designs, New Formats; and The Media Landscape.
The Paris-based WAN, represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 72 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 13 news agencies and ten 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. |
