El País: “Experts defend the ‘constant reinvention’ of the newspaper”

El País: “Experts defend the ‘constant reinvention’ of the newspaper”

Spanish daily El Pais reported on the work of Innovation Media Group at the 67th WAN-IFRA World News Media Congress, headlining: “Experts defend the ‘constant reinvention’ of the newspaper”.

“Print media are living through a constant process of internal scrutiny around the world. Communication on the Internet has altered reading habits and the economic crisis has hit newspaper budgets. Everything is being looked at anew. Newspapers are trying to adapt to the digital challenge while print editions still represent almost 100% of income.

Faced with such a confusing outlook, experts at Innovation Media Consulting Group recommend a culture of constant change. “If you accept change, you will never age”, said Juan Señor, one of the firm’s partners, on Wednesday, during the presentation of the annual innovation in newspapers report at the closure of the World News Media Congress in Washington.

The recipe, which Señor described in front of newspaper representatives from more than 80 countries, contains three key ingredients: “reinventing” the print edition whilst developing a digital business model; modifying the structure of the newsroom to adapt it to online needs; and investing in quality journalism that “constantly reinvents itself”.

Mobiles, videos and data

Señor said the sector must prioritise value more than the volume of information and make articles attractive regardless of the platform they are read on. Online, the future is full of mobile apps, video news and data usage, he said. He warned, though, of the need to discover reader preferences and promote up-to-date designs accessible across platforms.

As for print editions, Señor said they would continue to be a profitable platform “for decades to come” if they make certain changes. The solution is turning print into an exclusive, expensive product that contrasts with the mass audience on the Internet. This new type of daily, he argued, would contain more data, more analysis and more original news, and would look more towards the future than towards the past.”