Printed Newspaper Innovation

printed newspapers

How print newspapers need to evolve to meet the needs of the young reader.

Author: Kateryna GorokhovaSupervisors: Kristina Bürén, Christer LieExaminator: Alex Johnsson

Master thesis in Media Management

Innovation

for

How should printed newspapers develop in the future to correspond to young consumers’ needs?

Is the popularity of print newspapers decreasing among young generation? What do the current and potential readers want the newspaper to be like? “Is technology

the way?”

Research question

2

1 2 3What emerging technologies may help newspapers build readership?

What should a print newspaper be like in the future? What content will it have, what advertising, and what form?

18 to 26 year olds

in the Northern European region

Limitations

3

in Sweden

Methods

4

Literature study Questionnaire Interviews

Overview of the problemExisting technologiesCurrent predictions

What do the current and potential readers want the

newspaper to be like?

What is the current state of printed newspapers

What are the strategies of newspaper publishers

What should a print newspaper be like in the future?

5Readership of morning newspapers in 1995-2011

Overview Statistics Trends Technologies

6

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

Morning newspapers

4-day newspapers

Morning tabloid

Daily press

Tho

usan

ds c

opie

s

Readership of morning newspapers in 1995-2011


7

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

15-24

25-44

45-64

65-79

Per

cen

t of r

eade

rs


8


abundance

fragmentation

polarization

portfolio development

power-shift

convergence

digitization

free

participatory media

real time

shallow

Weblogs

9


2D barcodes audio & video augmented reality

10

Interviews

11

Morning newspaper

DN

Evening newspaper

Aftonbladet

Free weekly newspaper

Mitt i

Circulation Steady Decreasing Increasing

Print newspaper changesGraphical re-design

New local product None

Changing layout,

repositioning topics.

Focus on young audienceDistribution in schools

and universitiesFocus on online services

Focus on mobile

applications

Keeping track of

information about readersOverall knowledge

Interviews, web

analyticsTelephone surveys

Interaction techniquesQR codes in the past

Real-life interaction

Beetagg in the past

Interaction on-lineNone

Actions performed to

attract younger audienceSubscription discounts On-line campaigns Mobile applications

Environmental activity Swan certificate Swan certificateEnvironmentally certified

according to ISO 14001

Future predictions

regarding the print

newspaper

Positive Negative Positive

Interviews

12

Questionnaire

100 respondentsMostly from Sweden (85%), Germany (8%) and Denmark (7%) Mainly students

19 y.o

20 y.o21 y.o

22 y.o

23 y.o24 y.o

25y.o

26 y.o

13

Questionnaire

48% of young readers read newspapers on a daily basis, 9% almost do not read 43% read when commuting to school or work, 42% read at home in the morning

To get the local news

To get the world news

I read the articles of a special journalist I like

To kill time

To solve a puzzle (sudoku/crossword etc.)

To find coupons/discounts

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Most important factors:• accuracy of articles and interviews – 54%• content corresponding to the readers’ interests – 46%• content telling about current events – 44%• easy access – 29%

14

Questionnaire

Weaknesses

waste and pollution (48%)

high price and the need to pay (23%)

format (23%)

low speed of news delivery (14%)

bad quality of content (8%)

no interaction (4%)hard to keep for future

unclear structure of the paper

too long

content is for masses

no bookmarking/favourites

articles don't go in detail

copy paste at free newspapers

you have to go to the shop to buy it

publicity and advertisement

journalists take part, provide no comparison

15

Questionnaire

Strengths

great feeling of paper (48%)

broad scope and local focus (16%)

detailed articles and quality of information (16%)

better concentration (6%)

product promotion

short term news are disregarded which is good

good layout/not cluttered

fast to get

better for eyes

easy to look through

easily portable

no device needed/no internet connection needed

trustworthiness (6%)

good summary

can use it in many ways (disposable)

free

nice routine in the morning

authors get paid

16

Questionnaire

Content

Availability

Price

Form and design

Interactivity

Status and popularity

83% • in-depth, detailed and serious articles• more diverse content • Science, political news/debates and international focus

69% • available everywhere: spread in subway, cafes, other public places on the people's way

• delivered directly home

60% • free• cheaper• student discounts and subscription bundles

51% • smaller format• color, minimalism and free space

35% • not aware of how newspapers can be interactive (20%)• QR codes are fun (20%)

28% • status of a newspaper plays its role when it is questionable whether to believe the information delivered in it or not

17

Suggestions

Content Distribution Environment Price Design Technologies

6 ways of innovation

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SuggestionsContent Distribution Environment Price Design Technologies

Content innovation

• Diversity of topics

• Targeted newspapers

• Deepness of information

• Moving from fast news to better analysis

19


Distribution innovation

• Ubiquitous newspaper

• A package of information

20


Environmental awareness campaign

21


Price adjustments

• Decreasing news production costs

• Improving advertising attractiveness

• Offering “bundled” products

22


Newspaper make-over

• Changing the format

• Clean design

23


Technovation

• Bringing more depth to the content

• Raise advertising attractiveness

• Early adopters – new readers

24

THE END

Thank you

Business

Printed Newspaper Innovation