"One of the traps in our business is that product strategies are so interesting and involving that they dominate the strategy agenda. In my view, given the threats and challenges we face, product strategies alone cannot produce satisfactory returns and growth. You have to know where you are going in the media universe . . . and why."
Fred Hilmer, Chief Executive Officer, John Fairfax Holdings, Australia

"Traditional news media, such as the newspapers we represent, face a major challenge: our future depends on our ability to utilize the internet. This means that we have to differentiate between the internet as a threat and the internet as a partner. Unlike the traditional media, the internet needs neither gigantic printing presses nor huge broadcasting facilities. All that is required is a personal computer. The internet can be a medium for mass communication, or a simple tool to reach a friend."
Shin-ichi Hakoshima, President & CEO, The Asahi Shimbun, Japan

"If mass information is free, why not launch a free daily newspaper?"
Carlos Oliva-Vélez, Executive Vice President, Metro International, on the simply strategy behind the launch of the free paper.

"We made a point of recruiting only young, idealistic and inexperienced reporters, who would listen and learn about journalism and ethics, about what was expected in their working relationship with their news sources, and about their first concern being the reader’s interest."
Alejandro Junco de la Vega, President & CEO, Reforma Group, Mexico, on breaking the cycle of corruption in the Mexican press. Not coincidentally, the group is today one of Latin America’s most important.

"For four centuries, newspapers have played a critical role in joining communities together, in serving as a forum for exchanging information and ideas. We should and we must maintain and build this relationship in the future. But in order to do so, we should spend more time finding out what our audience needs in this fast-changing world -- and what we can do to provide it to them. We should find out their news consumption habits. We should enhance our journalism and expand our footprints across platforms and geographies."
Michael Golden, Publisher, International Herald Tribune