News

Native advertising isn’t what you think it is

The media industry has been using the phrases “native advertising,” “sponsored content,” “advertorials,” “branded content” and “content marketing” interchangeably, but there are important distinctions between the terms. It might seem nitpicky to insist that proper definitions are established and followed, but unless the industry can agree on the lingo then it may never be on the same page in important discussions on the ethics of content marketing.

Olympique de Marseille falls foul of the French press

Executives at the French football club Olympique de Marseille (OM) have been accused of “making a mockery of the freedom of the press” by the Association of Sports Journalists in France (Union des journalistes de sport en France, UJSF) after publishing a 12-page document outlining new restrictions on press access to official team information.

Tribune Co. and News Corp: a tale of two very different splits

When the Tribune Company first announced its decision to split into two separate companies, one dedicated to broadcast and the other to publishing, comparisons were inevitably made with a similar move made by News Corporation in June. However, Ken Doctor’s analysis of the ‘newsonomics’ of the Tribune’s spin-off would seem to suggest that two cases may not be so similar after all.

New York Times announces latest additions to growing digital family

Last Friday saw New York Times’ Executive Editor Jill Abramson reveal a series of new projects as part of a long-running initiative to improve and expand the title’s digital reach and offerings. In a missive addressed to the NYT’s staff, Abramson announced her plans for a new long-form digital-only magazine that will provide an “immersive” reading experience “that will include new, multimedia narratives.”

New-look paywalls could charge less to earn more

If media executives had a £1/$1 (insert currency here) for every time they thought about how to monetise online content, they would never again need to worry about financing their publications. Unfortunately this isn’t the case, and for the past 10 years many media organisations have not stopped in their search to develop new payment models to replace falling print revenue. Just this week two innovative models in the paid-content field have come to the fore, and both seek to increase revenue at the same time as charging readers less.

French press to pay higher postal tariffs due to government funding cuts

The French government has announced that it will eliminate its 32.5 million euros of annual funding to the national postal services in response to increasing pressure to reduce public spending, hereby forcing the press industry to pay higher postal tariffs, reported Les Echos.

Japan’s biggest mafia group launches magazine for its members

If reports in several Japanese newspapers are correct, the printed press may have found an unlikely advocate in the form of one of Japan’s most notorious mafia organisations, the Yamaguchi-gumi. The criminal group is said to have created an 8-page magazine named Yamaguchi-gumi Shinpo (The Yamaguchi Clan Gazette) that is distributed exclusively amongst its approximately 28,000 members.

Press+ takes its meter subscription model global

RR Donnelley’s Press+, which provides a digital subscription metering solution for publishers, recently announced it is expanding globally and has added London-based John Michael Hull as business development director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Hull was previously the business development manager for Piano Media.

New York Times, Telegraph colonise Kindle Fire market

The New York Times and The Telegraph recently launched Kindle Fire apps, looking to further tap into the Android market. Other publishers may consider following suit: Though the device represents a limited share of the tablet market, Kindle Fire owners are among the most voracious news consumers.

The Dallas Morning News rewards employees for revenue-generating ideas

In a drive to encourage innovation within the organisation, the Dallas Morning News has begun offering financial rewards of up to $25,000 to employees who come up with lucrative business ideas which generate revenue for the newspaper. This “Innovative Idea Share” program, which has already been running for a year, is designed to incentivise the seeking out of creative opportunities for the newspaper to diversify its pool of revenue sources.