News

Interview with Ulrich Schmitz, CTO, Axel Springer

Axel Springer has been at the forefront of the paid-for online content and digital innovation frontiers, particularly in Europe. Ulrich Schmitz, CTO of Axel Springer’s Electronic Media Division, has played a pivotal role in the company’s digital strategy. Guest contributor Ana-Maria Leonte of Evolok, a software solutions provider, interviewed Schmitz at WAN-IFRA’s Media Hack Day during the World Publishing Expo in Berlin this past fall.

Business Insider joins American wave setting up in UK

According to a report written today by Ricardo Bilton at Digiday, Business Insider intends to launch a UK edition of its website. Digiday reports that 12 staff will be recruited and an office set up in London. Business Insider follows other US online outlets such as The Huffington Post and BuzzFeed who have also recently launched UK editions.

South African media billionaire takes innovation sabbatical

Naspers CEO and recent billionaire Koos Bekker is to retire and spend a year travelling looking for the next big thing, before becoming chairman of the group next year. A press release from Naspers reports that Bekker “…intends to travel widely and research where the group’s next spurt of growth may come from, once ecommerce has reached maturity.”

Inside Russmedia’s dual strategy for regional and global growth

In the January 2014 issue of World News Publishing Focus, we interviewed Eugen Russ, managing director of Austria-based Russmedia, for our cover story. It is an interesting case of regional publisher’s strategy to create separate divisions focused on traditional business and purely digital.

Time Inc set to lay off hundreds more

In preparation for the spinoff from parent company Time Warner, Time Inc is expected to lay off a significant number of its staff.

Mobile the main challenge for European publishers in 2014

In Europe, mobile remains a major challenge for publishers in 2014, according to media analyst Mirja Telzerow, principal at A.T. Kearney GmbH in Germany.

Facebook at 10: a key tool for journalists

On the 10 year anniversary of the world’s largest social media network, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg looks to the future.

U.S. newspaper industry seen relatively stable in 2014

The U.S. newspaper industry remains under considerable pressure to replace lost print revenue, but the overall business stability that started to emerge last year will continue in 2014, predicts Rick Edmonds, researcher and writer for the Poynter Institute focusing on business and journalistic issues.

Rolf-Dieter Lafrenz: “Building cooperations between publishers”

Rolf-Dieter Lafrenz, Managing Director of the Schickler consulting company in Hamburg, Germany, discusses the development of the propensity to invest in the newspaper industry in Central Europe.

Big news brands embrace sponsored content but distrust lingers

BBC.com and The New York Times open digital platforms to paid-for content but journalists fear loss of credibility.