The challenges facing the conference

In setting the scene for the conference, Mr Aranda outlined some of the challenges facing newspapers as they try to attract younger readers.

"The task is truly difficult," he says. "Not long ago, there wasn’t general access to Palms, PCs, internet, there were no Googles or E-Bays. We have issues in front of us that are substantially different than what our predecessors faced, or even ourselves just a few years ago."

There isn’t a universal approach to overcoming these challenges. In fact, the opposite is true, says Mr Aranda.

"There isn’t just one solution, there aren’t two newspapers that can approach the issue in the same way. We don’t even have a common definition of ’what is a young reader’," he says, adding that he was certain the conference would provide multiple strategies to reach the common goal; encouraging young people to read newspapers, which will give them "access to the adult world."

Young readers, multiple challenges

What do young readers want?

"In theory, we all know," says Mr Sirotsky. "They want innovation, daring editorial solutions, they want to read what really makes sense for their lives."

But how to go about providing these things presents multiple challenges, he says.

Mr Sirotsky outlined five points that are indispensable to any strategy for attracting young readers:

 Practicality, which includes providing new formats, modern graphics, accessible language and low or no cost;

 Usefulness, including news that young readers can use, "service" elements and good advertisements;

 Quality, which includes creativity and professionalism;

 Credibility, the traditional newspaper strength of loyalty to readership, a commitment to truth, transparency and ethics;

 "Complementariness", or finding ways to ally the paper product with the internet.

Government partnerships for education

There is a world-wide trend to read less and there is no systematic effort to help children choose reading. That’s why the government of Argentina has partnered with newspapers to help reverse this trend, says Mr Filmus.

"We are truly maintaining, sustaining and working day by day toward the same goals -- how do we manage to give our kids the ability to read newspapers? How do we turn the newspaper into a training tool to educate our children?" he says.

"We need our children to be robustly trained, with an education they need to find their way in life. Textbooks alone in schools cannot provide it."

Mr Filmus says the trend away from reading is caused in part by new electronic and audio visual media. But the rise of these media do not reduce the need for reading.

"We certainly don’t think these news ways, electronic and audio visual, will replace traditional ways," he says. "We certainly cannot conceive of children not being able to read and write. They will not be able to decode the internet with doing the basics at school."

Newspapers have a future

It is important for newspaper professionals to acknowledge that, contrary to conventional wisdom, newspapers have reason for optimism.

"The printed newspaper has a future," he says, citing figures that show global newspaper circulation is on the increase, new titles are being launched and advertising levels are increasing.

"No other channel can beat a newspaper for the breadth and depth of the information it conveys, or for its ability to surprise, please and entertain. One can enjoy it wherever you are and whenever you want," he says.

"Printed newspapers are cheap, environment-friendly, pleasant to read, provide more diversified information and in-depth analysis, and incorporate a significant element of the good life," he says. "Although I am preaching to the converted here, it is important that we remind ourselves why the printed newspaper is a winner."

Capturing and Captivating Young Readers

The World Association of Newspapers asked the Innovation International consulting group to travel the world seeking the best young reader strategies. The result, "Capturing and Captivating Young Readers: 50 Editorial Strategies," is a report providing the most creative ways to reach young readers.

Delegates received copies of the book (which can also be ordered from WAN here. Mr Senor’s presentation focused on the lessons learned.

Innovation believes it is counterproductive to put young readers in a "ghetto" of special pages inserted in the paper. "We have to move away from special supplements, sections, educational inserts for the young, and to get our existing newspapers to be more youthful newspapers," says Mr Senor. He provided dozens of suggestions for doing so.

A few of them:

 Good design, yes, but content first.

 Show the reader in the newspaper every day.

 New, quick read formats are a must.

 Science and technology are hot topics.

 Don’t be pessimistic -- brand and content are the future.

Proof That NIE Works

Young people who remember using newspapers in school are far more likely to become lifelong readers than those who do not, according to a Newspaper Association of America study which offers conclusive proof that Newspapers in Education programs work.

"We have long believed that introducing the newspaper to young children would help create a newspaper reading habit that would last into adulthood, but we did not have the research to prove it. Now we do," said Mr Abbot.

An independent research firm asked 18-34-year-olds, "Do you remember using the newspaper as part of your classroom lessons in school?

Among those who remembered high involvement with newspapers in school, 62 percent are current newspaper readers. For those who did not remember any use of the newspaper in school, only 38 percent are current newspaper readers.

"My message to publishers and newspaper managers is really very simple: do you want 62 percent of the next generation to be newspaper readers, or can you get by with 38 percent? I don’t think you can survive with 38 percent," said Mr Abbot. "If you want to get the higher number, you need to support your Newspaper in Education program and support it strongly. You also need to provide content that will draw young readers into your newspaper."

The full study can be downloaded from the NAA web site here

"They just aren’t there"

To find out how well young adults were represented in their pages, one US newspaper conducted a content audit, using an approach created by the American Society of Newspaper Editors and adapted to focus on adults 18 to 39.

What they found was astounding, said Mr Smith.

Ninety percent of people in the main news were under 18 or over 40. Ninety-seven percent of people in the community and features pages were under 18 or over 40. And 95 percent of people in the local news pages were under 18 or over 40.

Mr Smith presented an audit methodology that any newspaper can use to find out if it has a young-adult coverage gap.

"At minimum, take two weeks of newspapers and count every person mentioned in every story and appearing in every photo. Note the number of persons who are 18 to 34. Then tally the section by section and by total newspaper."

Mr Smith also presented ways to bring layers of depth to the analysis.

The Front Page Project

The World Association of Newspapers asked some of the world’s leading newspapers to change Page One to appeal to 10-year-olds.

Using "before" and "after" photos of the pages, Mr Dufour and Dr McMane presented the results.

The newspapers included The Chicago Tribune and St Petersburg Times in the United States; Zero Hora in Brazil; Eesti Ekspress in Estonia; Ouest France; The Times of London; the Times of India; The Irish Independent; El Comercio in Peru; El Mundo in Spain; and many others.

Mr Dufour, whose company publishes newspapers for children, offered a dozen examples of what works. Here are a few of them:

 Check the language and offer definitions for difficult words.

 Use maps and lots of color.

 Get your audience involved. "Get help from kids to choose stories."