Brainsnacks about transformation in today’s media

During the afternoon brainsnack session of INMA/OPA Outlook 2010 conference speakers have only 7  minutes to speak about their ideas and experience. It was held by Nikos Gouraros, Business Development Director of Digital Business Unit in Lambrakis Press (Greece), Joachim Dreykluft, the News Editor Online in Gruner + Jahr Wirtschaftsmedien (Germany), Alastair Machray, the Chief-Editor of Liverpool Echo (United Kingdom), and Robert Whitehead, the Director Marketing in Fairfax Media.
First to talk about the experience, advice, pitfalls on integrated newsrooms was Nikos Gouraros. Lambrakis Press holds the leading and most widely diversified position in the mass media industry in Greece. They were the first media sector company to be listed on the Athens Stock Exchange’s main market in 1998. Lambrakis publishes four newspapers and 24 magazines.

They also develop and run www.in.gr, the largest news and information portal in Greece. Lambrakis Press has 75% of Greek internet traffic. They want their readers to enjoy, participate, communicate, be informed.

According to Nikos Gouraros, newsmedia companies need to redefine themselves. They should look at companies like Google or MSN – they no longer call themselves software companies, they are media companies, and therefore a competition to newspapers.

The next speaker, Joachim Dreykluft, told the attendees about his experience and thoughts of why the integrated newsroom is necessary for news publishers. “One Brand, all Media” – this was the basic claim and idea when Financial Times Deutschland and FTD.de started back in spring 2000. An integrated newsroom was part of this from the very first day. But the crucial factors of success lie far beyond. They have to do with specialization, generalization – and diplomacy.

And even though FT.de’s model already sounds like one brand all media, it was not good enough, according to the speaker. So these were the weak points, that have been changed in the meantime:

• too much agency material on the site without context and background
• too much generalism
• good cooperation in the main newsroom but too little contact with correspondents and companies/politics/finance editors

As an effect, FT.de now produces news stories with background and context that agencies don’t deliver.

Alastair Machray, spoke about restructuring and streamlining of editorial processes as the newsmedia company moves toward a more complete digital transformation in 2010.The main problems of those processes are maximising the value of print and at the same time changing from print to multiplatform. Having traditional processes removed not only makes the workflow easier and clearer, but also helps to remove a lot of costs. The big economic recession, however, does not make it easier for Trinity Mirror’s Liverpool Echo which is in the process of such transformation.

Robert Whitehead stressed that most important for newsmedia companies during the time of transformation are:

1. creativity
2. campaigning content
3. community events
4. serving community
5. being contemporary

The strategy of Fairfax Media during the time of transformation included:

1. Building a creative agency in house for ad sales.
2. Creating content very very unique, campaign on topics readers care about (not those important to journalists), community advocacy improves brand status.
3. Creating an event businesses that make money. Charging people to sponsor the events.
4. Going into niches, Fairfax media is now the leader in: dating (rsvp.com.au), vacation homes (stayz.com.au), auctions, parenting, and youth entertainment

Robert Whitehead concluded the session with an interesting motto: use the economic downturn to drive change. After all, it’s an opportunity!

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