Fifteen years is a lifetime in the newspaper industry, and a unique document prepared by the Innovations Media Consulting Group for the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) is testimony to the breadth of transformation that has occurred in that time.
A collector's set of the Innovations in Newspapers World Report, presented since 1999 at the annual World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum, has just been published in advance of this year's Congress, to be held in Torino, Italy from 9 to 11 June next.
Since the report was first published, the newspaper industry has undergone a radical transformation, with digital, social media, citizen journalism and interactive content now at the forefront. But the reports have been prescient: much that occurred in 1999 is familiar today.
"It's like having a time capsule about the industry," said Larry Kilman, Deputy CEO of WAN-IFRA. "The books not only reflect how quickly news media have changed, but also how much stays the same -- the details and approaches change, but the basic challenges remain fairly constant."
The 16th version of the Innovations in Newspapers World Report will be presented at this year's Congress and Editors Forum, led by Juan Señor, a Partner with Innovation Media Consulting Group, Monica Rey, a Senior Consultant with Innovation, and John Wilpers, a Director and consultant with the group.
"The newspaper industry is leading the digital transition with more and better multimedia integrated newsrooms, journalists and managers than ever," said Juan Antonio Giner, founder and president of Innovation and editor of the reports.
More than 1,200 publishers, chief editors, managing directors, CEOs and other senior newspaper and news publishing executives are expected in Torino for the 66th World Newspaper Congress, 21st World Editors Forum and 24th World Advertising Forum, the global summit meetings of the world's press.
The Torino events take the theme, "New Voices, New Reality, New Energy". Other sessions include:
- National Security, Liberty, Regulation and the Role of a Free Press in the Digital Age, which looks at the growing concerns over recent attacks on press freedom, even in countries with long democratic traditions. With Gary Pruitt, President & CEO, The Associated Press, Lord Black of Brentwood (Guy Black), Executive Director, Telegraph Media Group, UK, Janine Gibson, Editor-in-Chief, theguardian.com and Deputy Editor of Guardian News and Media, UK, and Claudio Paolillo, Chairman, Press Freedom and Information Committee, Inter-American Press Association.
- Innovation: From Idea to Impact, which looks at new partnerships that bring together news media, research centres and academia to bring fresh insights and ideas to the news business. The session will feature Nicolas Henchoz, Director EPFL/ECAL Lab, Switzerland, Andrew Betts, Director, FT Labs, UK; Amy Webb, Founder and CEO, WebbMedia Group, USA, Eduardo Pellanda, Tecnopuc, Brazil, and Thiago Medeiros, RBS Media Group, Brazil.
- How to Transform Your Business for the Multi-Platform Mobile World, which examines the impact of the new mobile majority and how new platforms are transforming the ways content is being produced, consumed and monetised. With John Paton, CEO, Digital First Media, USA, Jean-Baptiste Morin, CEO, LS Distribution, Lagardère Services, France, Yoichi Nishimura, Board Director of Digital Business and International Affairs, The Asahi Shimbun, Japan, and Tore Stangebye, CEO, Berner Media Holding, Norway.
- Alternative business models, unconventional and disruptive revenue streams, which will look at the myriad ways news media are borrowing the strategies of pure digital players and raising revenues beyond traditional advertising and sales. With Pietro Scott Jovane, CEO, RCS MediaGroup, Italy, Chris Lee, President, Desert Digital Media, USA, and Dag Wigum, Founder and CEO, Schibsted Payment AS, Norway.
- World Press Trends 2014 – Global Media Trends Around the World, the annual update on trends in news publishing worldwide, from WAN-IFRA's World Press Trends survey, the most authoritative source of industry wide data for circulation, advertising, digital audience and more. By Larry Kilman, Deputy CEO, WAN-IFRA.
- The Game Changers: Why Venture Capitalists are Suddenly Investing in News?, which will examine how the market for content has opened up and why. New ownership of the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Orange County Register, and multi-million dollar new media ventures have shifted the mood of the entire industry. With Ken Doctor, Founder, Newsonomics, USA, Eugen A. Russ, CEO, RussMedia Group, Austria, and more speakers to be announced.
- One Size Does Not Fit All – Maximizing Results with Limited Capacity and Smart Approaches, which will provide strategies and tools for independent, mid-size news organisations and those under severe market pressure. Speakers include Tor Bøe-Lillegraven, management consultant and media analyst, Denmark, George Nimeh, Chief Digital Officer, KURIER, Austria, Ernst-Jan Pfauth, Publisher, De Correspondent, Netherlands, and Eirik Hoff Lysholm, CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Dagsavisen, Norway.
- Where Strategy Meets Data: The "New Oil," which will examine how news media can leverage the data they collect and develop the massive revenue potential it holds. Speakers to be announced.
- Why Video Matters: Get in the Game, which will provide a look at the new audience and advertising potential of video. The session will include Eric Scherer, Director of Future Media, France Televisions, Amy Mitchell, Director of Journalism Research, Pew Research Center, USA, Susan Vobejda, General Manager of Media Licensing and Distribution, Bloomberg, USA, and Jérôme Grateau, Managing Director, Partner Business Solutions, Google SEEMEA.
- Consolidation and 'Coopetition' (Win Together or Lose It), which will make the case that cooperating with competitors – even in a business as competitive as news media – is worth exploring to reduce costs, create synergies or reduce risks in new markets. The session will feature Carlo De Benedetti, Chairman, Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso, Italy, Raju Narisetti, Senior Vice President & Deputy Head of Strategy, News Corp., USA, and otherspeakers to be announced.
