Burning fears from respected news veterans that the bloggosphere is threatening the lifeline of traditional media outlets have been partially extinguished, with the release of data showing readership of newspapers and their websites is flourishing.
The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) says circulation of offline titles increased strongly last year, while the rapid growth in broadband has enabled a doubling in the number of newspaper websites since 1999.
Unlike previous years, the Association identified growth in newspaper sales as result of maturing markets, rather than gains into developing ones.
Over the last five years, this translates into an increase in newspaper sales worldwide of 4.75 per cent.
Speaking to thousands of editors and newspapers executives, Timothy Balding, director of WAN, commended the industry for fostering a new “renaissance.”
“It has been a very long time since we saw such a revival in so many maturing markets.
“Newspapers are clearly undergoing a renaissance through new products; new formats, new titles, new editorial approaches, better distribution and better marketing.”
Some of these ‘new formats,’ point to the online explosion of newspaper websites, which have grown 350 per cent over the last five years, and 32 per cent during last year.
WAN said the proliferation of online editions was down to the unprecedented uptake of high-speed internet services, which has projected consumers out of television and living rooms, and onto the World Wide Web.
Newspaper editors seem to have responded, rising to challenges outlined by Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp, and his former aide Andrew Neil, current editor of The Business, who both have identified the Web as the new frontline in the battle for higher readership.
Their warning to traditional media outlets focused on the ever-expanding network of online web logs or ‘blogs,’ which have joined an army of news and magazine portals to offer a power alternative voice to traditional publications.
Mr Murdoch even strategically provoked his industry colleagues by asking how many sitting before him could honestly say they were taking full advantage of the internet.
He challenged the American Society of Newspaper Editors to overcome “digital inertia,” so that like web loggers, they too could tap into the news-reading 18-34-year-olds, surfing the net for the latest developments.
As part of their latest data release, the Association supported the call for challenges of the internet, free press and online news portals to be confronted, but selectively.
Executives agreed that editors need to carefully identify what aspects of the digital revolution are worthy of investment, rather than attempting a full-scale operation which could prove detrimental to their business.
Offline however, the WAN said innovation should continue apace with tested solutions already showing successful results.
They cited 20 of the world’ s most respected broadsheet titles slimming down into a tabloid or compact edition, while predicting that editors would inject more colour, new editorial concepts and experiment with new formats and design in their future titles.
However the combination of financial constraints, technical innovation and the need to redefine relations with readers poses an ongoing challenge to the 400-year-old industry, the Association warned.
They added there was no room for complacency on the part of newspaper editors and executives, despite their successful efforts which have boosted global newspaper sales 2.1 per cent during an “extremely positive” year for the industry.
Jun 1, 2005
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