Digital fuels growth in Africa’s media and entertainment industry

After more than a decade of digital disruption, the African entertainment and media industry has entered a new era –where the media between traditional and digital spheres is blurred and consumers want more flexibility and freedom in how they consume content, claims a new report from PwC which looks at future of the South African, Nigeria and Kenyan media markets.

Kompas marks 50 years, World Young Reader prize

On the 50th anniversary of its foundation, Kompas Gramedia – which remains the undisputed leading national daily in Indonesia – has clinched WAN-IFRA’s top World Young Reader Prize for 2015 for its multimedia approach to reaching young people and helping them become more active in society.

New breed of users- hit by tech-bugs

Dushyant Khare, Head – Strategic Partnerships, South East Asia & India, Google, India, highlights the growing population of smartphone users. Some use only their mobile to access the Internet, and the more affluent people use multiple gadgets for browsing the Internet. However, the number of mobile users are rising rapidly.

Changing Minds, Enriching Lives

Patrick Daniel, Editor-In-Chief, English and Malay Newspapers Division, SPH Ltd, Singapore, highlights the major challengs to newspapers.

How to find the next European media startup? (Clue in the question)

The next media accelerator (nma.vc) does exactly what you might expect: It seeks to accelerate growth in new media startups. We got on the phone to Hamburg to understand what makes them unique.

Storytelling’s fight for flight

Where does the world’s love-hate relationship with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drone technology really lie? Rebecca Jayne Pattison reports from a recent mash-up of experts.

Where does the world’s love-hate relationship with UAVs and drone technology really lie?

Digitally printed titles trending in Italy?

We are often asked about examples of newspapers being digitally printed around the world. One region to keep an eye on is northern Italy where the printing plant of Centro Stampa Quotidiani (CSQ) in the small city of Erbusco recently added two new foreign customers which want to have their daily titles printed and available for tourists and business people in the region. Longtime WAN-IFRA friend Luca Michelli of the Italian Newspaper Association, ASIG, shares CSQ’s story.

Learning from interactive newsprint: Talking boxes and chatty cardboard

Ever had a welcome speech from a parcel or ready meal container read out loud to you? Embedded audio and conductive ink may be the ultimate way for manufacturers to communicate to consumers through their products writes Rebecca Jayne Pattison

Weighing the benefit of Google’s European news innovation fund

There’s early support for Google’s ‘Digital News Initiative,’ which aims to facilitate and fund innovation as well as product development in European journalism. But publishers are cautious as the European Commission continues its investigation into Google’s alleged anti-competitive practices writes Angelique Lu.

First Meeting of World Printers Forum Board

On 26 January 2015 the Board of the newly founded World Printers Forum (WPF) met for the first time at the German office of WAN-IFRA in Frankfurt am Main.