Ad blocking is a growing threat to online business models, and one that publishers need address. What steps are they taking to win back readers who are already ad blocking? How can the user experience be improved? What are the key implications concerning privacy issues?

The Board of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), meeting in Paris on 12th December 2015, calls for renewed global solidarity with the Turkish press in the wake of continuing attacks and the government's hard-line stance against independent, free media.

With reference to the release date 12 May 2015 regarding letter of intent to form a new media group for subscription newspapers in Sweden including Svenska Dagbladet and MittMedia.

Today Schibsted Media Group presents a new organization with new geographies and stronger global functions that will enable us to deliver even better products to our users and customers - and at the same time strengthen our Ecosystem strategy.

It may come as a surprise, and it's worth remembering: about 2.7 billion adults today still read newspapers in print, nearly half of the world's adult population.

The World Digital Media Awards are always an inspiring showcase of what news organizations can do, but this year's prize crop included a particularly moving selection that underlined the power of technology to inspire emotion as well as awe.

The best practice guide, 'Optimised Paper Handling and Logistics' will shortly be released in an Alpha version for open industry comment. The review process will ensure the final publication delivers a comprehensive and complete guide to best practices across the entire paper supply and process chain.

The impact of ad blockers on news publishers' advertising revenues and the release of Google's Accelerated Media Pages (AMP) are two of the latest topics added to the programme of Digital Media Asia (DMA), which will take place this year in Hong Kong, on 17-19 November.

Soft censorship continues to be a major threat to press freedom and the governments of Hungary, Mexico and Serbia appear unwilling to follow recommendations that would guarantee a non-discriminatory allocation of public funds and government advertising across the media.

An international delegation of media and freedom of expression organisations met with the Indonesian government to discuss the state of media in the country. It highlighted concerns regarding journalist safety and an environment that poses significant threats to freedom of expression.

Some of Asia's leading news media companies, including Apple Daily, South China Morning Post and Thomson Reuters were among the winners of the 6th annual Asian Digital Media Awards, presented in Hong Kong by Google and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).

The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers' (WAN-IFRA) leading Asian digital event - Digital Media Asia (DMA) - will take place in Hong Kong from 17 to 19 November. The event, which offers three days of conference sessions, master classes and an expo, will also host an exclusive workshop organised by the Guardian News & Media's Publisher Network.

Since its launch in 2009, DMA has become the largest new media conference dedicated to the publishing industry in Asia.Media experts and executives from Asia will join colleagues from all over the world will discuss the issues that are reshaping the online news media business.

The winners of the 6th Asian Digital Media Awards, organised by WAN-IFRA and Google, will also be presented at DMA.

Speakers from leading media organisations, including The Guardian, Bloomberg, Google and the Wall Street Journal, will share case studies and best practices on the following topics:

Media for Millennials, which will focus on attracting and building a business around a younger demographic. Millennials, those roughly between 15- and 32-years old, are always-on, digital natives and video consumers. What lessons can be learned from Buzzfeed, Vox, Vice and other successful digital pure-players?

Programmactic & Native Advertising, which will focus on developing ad strategies for a mobile-first media environment, developing premium pricing, and staying safe from market fraud.

Data Strategy, which will examine data enabled diversification strategies such as e-commerce and e-marketing, and how to deal with data privacy issues.

Audience Intelligence, which will help participants increase revenues by understanding and building audiences, increasing referrals from social media platforms and turning social readers into subscribers.

Top 5 digital priorities, in which leading media executives will present their digital strategies and discuss where they plan to focus their efforts in the coming months.

Content optimisation, which will examine the triggers that prompt customers to pay for digital content, as well as how to market digital content outside of traditional media platforms and audiences.

Cultivating a culture of innovation, which will present inspiring lessons from start-ups and innovative pure players and show how to inject new decision-making processes and workflows.

Web TV - Video, which will provide strategies to create (ad friendly) quality content, help publishers choose the right distribution platforms, and disclose the real monetisation opportunities.

In addition to the conference sessions, vendors of business solutions, services and equipment will present their latest offerings at the Digital Media Asia Expo, which will showcase the latest tools for optimizing editorial and advertising operations and boosting your digital business.

Masterclasses

DMA will also offer in-depth sessions on mobile video and online classifieds conducted by recognised international experts with a deep understanding of Asian markets.

DMA will also host an exceptional half day workshop organised by The Guardian News & Media Publisher Network, which will offer unique insights on how The Guardian is tackling partnerships with digital pure-players and technology suppliers, such as Facebook, Google, Samsung or Apple.

Event Venue & Hotel

The Mira Hotel, located at 118 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, is the official event venue and hotel for DMA 2015. It is centrally located in the heart of Hong Kong's commercial, shopping, dining and entertainment district and a close walk to the local MTR.

Confirmed speakers include:

Anjali Kapoor, Head of Digital, Asia Pacific, Bloomberg, HK

Suzy Hay, Global Director, Content Partnerships, The Guardian, UK

Joey Chung, CEO, The News Lens, Taiwan

Yumiko Ono, Asia Audience Engagement Editor, Wall Street Journal, HK

John Pullman, Global Editor of Video and Pictures, Reuters, UK

Jeremy Butteriss, MD, Partner Business Solutions - APAC, Google , Singapore

Eugene Leow, Digital Editor, The Straits Times, Singapore

Ben Shaw, Director of Global Advisory, WAN-IFRA, Germany

Peter Zollman, CEO, AIM, USA

Iain Martin, Asia Editor, Storyful, HK

Peter Lamb, President Lamb Consulting, USA

Henrik Eklund, CEO and Founder, NewsStag, Sweden
www.wan-ifra.org