Internet and free newspapers no threat to daily newspapers
The Swiss Press Association's annual conference began on Thursday in Montreux. For three days, participants will gather on the shores of Lake Geneva to discuss the current state and future of the local media. In the run-up to the event, various experts emphasized that the internet and free newspapers do not necessarily pose a threat to traditional daily newspapers.
The annual Swiss Press Congress began on Thursday in Montreux. For two days, participants will debate the current state and future of the local media on the shores of Lake Geneva. In the run-up to the event, experts are painting a picture that is by no means bleak. They do not view the internet or free newspapers as a threat to daily newspapers. It all comes down to the right synergy, they say. In an in-depth interview with the Tages-Anzeiger, Tobias Trevisan, the Swiss managing director of the FAZ, draws interesting comparisons with the German market.
While Swiss media companies are increasingly focusing on print products with the launch of Sunday papers and free newspapers, German companies are concentrating on the Internet, he notes in the interview. A well-designed, comprehensive website by no means replaces traditional daily newspapers. «If we succeed in establishing successful business models online, we’ll relieve print products of fixed costs. That way, it will still be possible to print the newspaper on paper for a long time to come,» Trevisan explains to the Tages-Anzeiger. However, he questions whether the operating costs of a large news portal are worth it.
Generating news on an ongoing basis is very expensive. Moreover, current information offers little opportunity to differentiate oneself or stand out from the competition. Revenue for news portals is also limited because they rely on a single revenue stream: banner advertising. His newspaper, the FAZ, is trying to position its website as a quality platform and link it to vertical topic portals such as online job boards.
«Germany’s media outlets have recognized the importance of the Internet for their future. Most Swiss publishers are not quite there yet. Strong brands are essential in our industry, and quality must be verifiable. Our readers should be able to see the difference—both in the print edition and online,» says the 49-year-old former Ringier and NZZ employee.
Oliver Michalsky, head of the German news portal Welt Online, is also convinced that major publishing houses must not view the Internet as a threat, but must instead embrace this «new» medium. He says it is the medium of the present and the future. The logical consequence of this, he says, is the «online first» principle. The nearly 400 journalists at the newspaper publisher—which is part of the Springer Group—always make their work available on the website first. As a result, readers can find in-depth, well-researched, long-form articles on Welt.de. According to Michalsky, the goal is for readers to say: “When you read something here, you simply know more afterward.”.
The Berlin-based editorial team at *Die Welt*, a latecomer to the online business, has gained significant ground in recent years—without cannibalizing the company’s print products. «The Welt Group has actually grown in the newspaper sector, while Welt Online has exploded,» Michalsky told the Tages-Anzeiger. He doesn’t hear the death knell tolling for newspapers. There will always be people who prefer the tactile experience of holding a newspaper in their hands to that of an electronic device.
While Swiss media companies are increasingly focusing on print products with the launch of Sunday papers and free newspapers, German companies are concentrating on the Internet, he notes in the interview. A well-designed, comprehensive website by no means replaces traditional daily newspapers. «If we succeed in establishing successful business models online, we’ll relieve print products of fixed costs. That way, it will still be possible to print the newspaper on paper for a long time to come,» Trevisan explains to the Tages-Anzeiger. However, he questions whether the operating costs of a large news portal are worth it.
Generating news on an ongoing basis is very expensive. Moreover, current information offers little opportunity to differentiate oneself or stand out from the competition. Revenue for news portals is also limited because they rely on a single revenue stream: banner advertising. His newspaper, the FAZ, is trying to position its website as a quality platform and link it to vertical topic portals such as online job boards.
«Germany’s media outlets have recognized the importance of the Internet for their future. Most Swiss publishers are not quite there yet. Strong brands are essential in our industry, and quality must be verifiable. Our readers should be able to see the difference—both in the print edition and online,» says the 49-year-old former Ringier and NZZ employee.
Oliver Michalsky, head of the German news portal Welt Online, is also convinced that major publishing houses must not view the Internet as a threat, but must instead embrace this «new» medium. He says it is the medium of the present and the future. The logical consequence of this, he says, is the «online first» principle. The nearly 400 journalists at the newspaper publisher—which is part of the Springer Group—always make their work available on the website first. As a result, readers can find in-depth, well-researched, long-form articles on Welt.de. According to Michalsky, the goal is for readers to say: “When you read something here, you simply know more afterward.”.
The Berlin-based editorial team at *Die Welt*, a latecomer to the online business, has gained significant ground in recent years—without cannibalizing the company’s print products. «The Welt Group has actually grown in the newspaper sector, while Welt Online has exploded,» Michalsky told the Tages-Anzeiger. He doesn’t hear the death knell tolling for newspapers. There will always be people who prefer the tactile experience of holding a newspaper in their hands to that of an electronic device.
