Turkish Reforms Can Set Example for Muslim World

Seok Hyun Hong, President, World Association of Newspapers

Turkish law reforms regarding human rights and press freedom could positively influence the majority of Muslim nations where freedom of expression is outlawed, says Dr Hong.

"It is right to underline the potential role that modern Turkey can play on the world stage in demonstrating that a major Muslim country can promote and enjoy tolerance, democracy and full human rights, including the vital right of every citizen to receive free information and express himself freely," he said at the opening ceremony of the Congress and Forum.

"These rights and other basic democratic values are outlawed or severely restricted in the great majority of countries with predominantly Muslim populations, and positive examples are in great need, particularly in this region, where Turkey can exert additional influence," he said.

Turkey has undertaken a series of reforms in recent years, as it strives to join the European Union, and has abolished or modified many laws that restricted freedom of expression and were used to prosecute and imprison journalists and human rights activists. While limitations of free expression still exist, and harassment and prosecution of human rights activists still occur, the country has made great strides, said Dr Hong.

Read the full speech here.

"I Always Serve The Truth,"

Presentation of the Golden Pen of Freedom to Ruslan Sharipov of Uzbekistan

WAN today awarded its annual press freedom prize, the 2004 Golden Pen of Freedom, to journalist Ruslan Sharipov of Uzbekistan for his courageous human rights and freedom of expression initiatives in the face of attacks, torture and constant harassment.

Mr Sharipov, who is under house arrest in Uzbekistan, sent a message to the awards ceremony which said: "I love journalism. I always serve the truth and I want freedom of speech to be celebrated around the world. I will do my best to be worthy of your great trust."

The statement was read by human rights activist Elena Urlaeva, who accepted the award on his behalf. She said Mr Sharipov did not send a longer statement because Uzbek authorities threatened reprisals if he did so.

Mr Sharipov served 10 months in prison and is now under house arrest "on trumped up charges intended to punish and silence him," said Gloria Brown Anderson, President of the World Editors Forum, who presented the award.

Mr Sharipov, 25, was sentenced to four years in prison in August 2003 for "engaging in homosexual acts" -- a pretext to silence him and stop his human rights work.

He is the founder of the Union of Independent Journalists of Uzbekistan and a correspondent for the Moscow Human Rights Agency. Before his imprisonment, he reported regularly on the state of the media and press freedom in Uzbekistan, and about human rights violations in the country.

Read the presentation speech here.

A tower of tolerance

Aydin Dogan, President, Turkish Newspaper Publishers Association

Publishers and editors around the world must unite to build “a tower of tolerance” to bring global peace and understanding, says Aydin Dogan.

People should look for an example to Istanbul where a mosque, a church and a synagogue can exist side by side in peace.

The press can play an important role in bringing that peace, he says.

“Out of different cultures and languages the press should be able to understand each other - and speak a common language.

Mr Dogan believes the current situation in Iraq is full of historical lessons about democracy and a free press.

The fact that photographs of Iraqi prisoners being abused by their American guards in Abu Ghreib jail were published is a sign of democracy.

“It is a good example of democratic behaviour ,” he says of the way the photographs were published first in U.S. newspapers.

“For three decades, Saddam Hussein tortured his people in that jail but those crimes were not found out because there was no free press,” Mr Dogan says.

But he warns that democracy can only survive with the consent of citizens. It cannot be thrust upon people.

In the past, Turkey has suffered from the people’s prejudices, he says.

“What we want from the world is for it to be able to observe Turkey without prejudice,” Mr Dogan says.

Turkey welcomes free press

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey

Turkey wants a press that is pluralistic, egalitarian and democratic, says Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

New laws that are currently being introduced should ensure that, the Turkish prime minister says.

“We did not have a brilliant record on press freedom until a few years ago,” he admits. Turkey was often subject to criticism, which was sometimes offensive, he says.

“Now we believe in informing individuals in a transparent manner will create a democracy,” he says.

These new laws will end sanctions that allowed the government to confiscate printing presses and stop circulation of newspapers, he says.

He also praises the decisive role that the press can play in society.

“It can defend the continuity of humanistic values, “ he says.

He says relations between Turkey and the European Union are at a critical point.

Turkey should learn by the end of the year when it can join the EU.

“Turkey has made its choice,” Mr Erdogan says.

He asks the press to support Turkey’s efforts to join the EU.

“We do not see the EU as an economic union or a Christian club,” he says.

It is a place where civilisations will meet in peace, he believes.

“We want to complete the modernisation that has taken place over two centuries with membership of the EU,” he says.

Turkey is a Muslim country that can set an example by its people’s ability to live in harmony, he says.

World Press Trends: Advertising Rebounds, Circulation Down Slightly

Timothy Balding, Director General, World Association of Newspapers

Newspaper advertising revenues are finally on the upswing as the world economy rebounds, but global newspaper circulation is slightly down, according to the annual survey of World Press Trends published Monday by the World Association of Newspapers.

The survey, which included information on every country where newspapers are published -- 208 in all -- showed that:

  Global newspaper advertising revenue rose 2 percent in 2003 from a year earlier and is forecast to continue a steady increase through 2006.

  Global newspaper circulation declined 0.12 percent in 2003 compared with a year earlier but was up 4.75 percent over the five-year period from 1999 to 2003.

  The number of newspaper websites has doubled since 1999 and the global internet advertising market continues to grow steadily.

  The number of free dailies is growing dramatically -- a 16 percent increase in 2003 from a year earlier and a 24 percent increase over the past five years in countries for which data was available.

"2003 was yet another year of great changes and challenges for newspapers," says Mr Balding. "The pressures on the circulation of newspapers continued, but newspapers showed a greater willingness than ever before to innovate and experiment with strategies to win new readers.

"Many newspapers worldwide changed their formats to satisfy reader demand and many others are still studying the opportunities that exist in compact formats," he said. "Many more newspapers converted to full colour, with benefits both for advertising and editorial. There is evidence that newspaper internet operations are capturing new audiences. And the growth in new free commuter dailies is also expanding the reach of the written press to a younger generation."

More from the survey here.

Invest Now for Future Growth

Brendan Hopkins, CEO, APN News & Media, Australia and New Zealand

Newspapers aren’t just newspapers anymore.

"Increasingly our growth is coming through the development of complementary products that expand the definition of a newspaper and extend the brand of the masthead."

"Who knows what the newspaper of the future will look like? But, for sure, if you asked our grandfathers whether newspapers would look like they do today, they would have laughed and called for the men in white coats to take you away. The future is yours."

Mr Hopkins, head of Australasia’s largest regional newspaper, radio and outdoor advertising group, focused his presentation on the changing nature of the newspaper as a consumer product, and how publishers need to innovate for growth.

Here are two of his many examples:

  Publishers should learn from the fast moving consumer goods good industry, which links production to distribution to merchandising at the point of sale. "I argue that this mindset also needs to be our mindset. We need to control each aspect of that value chain to build a direct relationship with the end consumer."

  Great editorial and an effective advertising sales force are still essential for newspapers, but they must be joined by a third force -- marketing. "We have to constantly remind the readers why they should be buying," says Mr Hopkins.

Focus on your central mission

Karen House, Publisher, Wall Street Journal, USA

"The most striking historical conclusion from our century of journalism is that great businesses-those that endure and thrive in tempestuous times-have remarkably constant missions. The same is true of great publications," says Ms House.

For the venerable Journal, it starts with values. "We have always believed that quality, integrity and independence are paramount to our business success," she said, defining quality as "a constant focus on getting the facts right" along with an attitude of fairness.

Ms House provided details of the Journal’s strategic priorities. Here is one example:

  Independence, not only editorially but in business decision-making as well.

"When some years ago virtually everyone proclaimed that the Internet had to be a free medium, The Wall Street Journal launched its Internet edition, The Wall Street Journal Online at WSJ.com, as a paid subscription site. This was met by a certain amount of derision from the Internet-savvy and from much of the publishing world," she said.

"Yet today, WSJ.com, with nearly 700,000 paid subscribers, is the largest paid subscription news site on the entire worldwide web, it is profitable and it is the envy of many of those who mocked us and now seek to mimic us."

Catch the Wave

Anssi Vanjoki, Vice President, Nokia Group, Finland

Media has evolved through five "waves" -- print, radio, television, recording, internet. It is about the embark on a sixth wave, says Mr Vanjoki.

"When all of this is made mobile and everything will be available to everyone all the time, the consumption will take a new kind of spin, and that will start the sixth wave of media," he says.

"In less than ten years, this will shape our world as much a the printing press, the radio, the television, the internet, because it is a totally new device."

This device is already in development -- a telephone with a big screen and a camera and lots of capability to do more things -- including receiving television broadcasts.

They will be used for e-mail, surfing and for producing content such as blogs because the editing tools will be simple and powerful. Users will be able to create and send video clips, or even streaming video.

Thinking about the Printed Press

Juan Luis Cebrian, CEO, El Pais and Grupo PRISA, Spain

In his philosophical look at the future of newspapers, Mr Cebrian began by painting a startling bleak picture.

Newspapers face competition from television, radio, internet and mobile devices, all of which give consumers the news before the newspaper. Newspapers are getting thicker and thicker yet readers have less time to read.

Newspapers have tried many strategies to rise to the challenge of electronic media, he says. He was particularly harsh on the recent wave of convergence strategies in which journalists are asked to write stories for newpsaper and web, take pictures and provide content to other media as well. He calls it "one-man band" journalism.

"I am all in favour of consolidating the administrative structure, transport, paper, printing, networks," he says. "But if you are going to consolidate newsrooms, I think it would be a mistake."

Mr Cebrian says it isn’t enough for a newspaper to be convenient and useful -- it has to also be a necessity.

"People in the future will continue to need to think, to read and write, and people will continue to need newspapers," he said. "Reading and writing takes thought, more so than just looking at something or listening."

Online News: Journalism’s New Mainstream

Dean Wright, Vice President and Editor in Chief, MSNBC.com

Online news is now firmly in the journalistic mainstream, says Mr Wright. The speed of online news, and its relevance to an audience that likes to personalize its news, makes it a factor that newspapers must respond to if they are to thrive.

Advances in technology are making online news an even more important player on the journalistic scene because of new storytelling models that are infinitely richer than those available to newspapers, he says.

The walls between television, radio and the online world are rapidly falling, making a new journalistic powerhouse.

Mr Wright’s made several suggestions about what he believed newspapers could do to compete with this new media. Here are a few of them:
  Build a great web site that is coherent, navigable and rich in unique information. "My editors and the editors at CNN and other megasites will never have the knowledge of your local market that you have," says Mr Wright.
  Make it free. Only 27 newspaper web sites charge for information and only one, The Wall Street Journal, has a profit making business plan.

21st Century Journalism: Every Citizen a Reporter

Yeon-Ho Oh, Founder and CEO, Ohmy News, Korea

Mr Oh believes he is harnessing the power of the internet with his on-line newspaper, "OhmyNews," where every citizen is a reporter.

In addition to 60 staff, including 35 reporters, the newspaper is written by 32,000 "citizen reporters". They have 1 million daily readers.

Mr Oh calls, it 21st century journalism.

"20th century journalism is one-way. Professional reporters write, and readers read. But we created a two-way journalism. Readers are no longer passive. Readers can be a reporter anytime he or she wants. The main concept of OhmyNews is, ’every citizen is a reporter.’ Journalists aren’t some exotic species, they’re everyone who has news stories and shares them with others."

Reporters come from every walk of life, and Mr Oh provided examples: an office worker who has written 40 articles in four years; a small business owner who contributes one or two columns a week; an Army captain who has contributed five stories.

The newspaper’s influence also comes from staff reporters. Because the team is small, it is forced to concentrate on specific areas -- mostly political and social issues, where it has managed to break major stories.

The combination of citizen contributions and scoops from professional staff has led to increasing influence and readership, says Mr Oh.

"Thanks to the increasing number of visitors and influence, from last year we broke even," he says.

Modeling the Digital Future

Andrew Nachison and Dale Peskin, Co-Directors, Media Center at the American Press Institute

Through research, seminars and symposia, the Media Center has been creating models for "the visible future -- the things we know are happening, and how things are emerging," says Mr Peskin.

The goal is simple but ambitious: "to build a better-informed society," says Mr Nachison.

In creating these models, they’ve come up with three propositions.

The first is called the "know-trust network" -- a personal community where informal networks are exchanging news, information and conversation. "They are becoming the principle means of learning and discovery," says Mr Peskin and they could eclipse traditional media.

The second is referred to a digital everything. "All news and information will need to be virtual, digital and mobile," he says.

And the third proposition is the power of an individual person. "The individual -- not large institutions, will exert unprecedented power," he says.

Currently, the Media Center is focusing on convergence strategies -- which they call "emergence" as new media forms arise. And they are also examined strategies for mobile devices.

Innovations in Newspapers: ’Tabloid Fever’ and the Best of the Rest

Juan Senor (London), Claude Erbsen (USA) and Juan Antonio Giner (USA), Innovation International Media Consulting Group

Newspapers in many markets are changing format from broadsheet to tabloid. Other newspapers are considering joining this trend. But many of them are doing it the wrong way, says Mr Giner.

"A quality compact newspaper is more than a change in format, much more than just a redesign. It’s really a re-invention of the entire newspaper," says Mr Giner, who decries the practice of "automatic pagination" -- taking the content from the broadsheet and simply transferring it to the smaller size.

He advocates redesigning the content and the news architecture of the paper, developing new quick-read formats, changing headlines, leads and story-telling style to become a ’daily news magazine’, reducing pagination, and more.

Mr Giner and his colleagues examined some of the year’s major newspaper innovations in their "2004 Global Report on Innovations in Newspapers" presentation.

The annual Innovations report, researched for the World Association of Newspapers, covers such issues as how The New York Times extends its brand with the Discovery Times TV channel; what newspapers are doing and can do to increase their advertising revenue; successful cases of new and innovative newspapers; new local sections as an editorial tool to add value to the newspaper; the secrets of three of the best European news websites, Le Monde, La Repubblica and Guardian Unlimited; why newspapers are wrong when they cut editorial and newsroom budgets; and more.

The English, Spanish and Italian printed versions of the new report are available from the World Association of Newspapers by clicking here.