future-of-journalism

The World Association of Newspapers has launched a new weblog to report on and discuss the latest in newspaper strategies and other developments in the global newspaper industry, according to an email from Larry Kilman, WAN's spokesman.

The Shaping the Future of the Newspaper weblog, http://www.sfnblog.org, is a product of the WAN Shaping the Future of the Newspaper project, which identifies, analyses and publicises all important breakthroughs and opportunities that can benefit newspapers all over the world, Kilman says.

"The SFN blog brings an international perspective to the newspaper and media community, so strategists can explore a wide-range of newspaper developments, both in their own markets and elsewhere," said Martha Stone, Director of the SFN project. "We have found this perspective lacking in much of the commentary on the newspaper scene."

WAN now provides two daily reads for everyone in the newspaper business; the SFN blog joins the Editors Weblog from the World Editors Forum, http://www.editorsweblog.org, which is consulted by more than 1,500 newspaper industry people every day, Kilman adds.

WAN also provides two regional media management news services: the Arab Press Network, http://www.arabpressnetwork.org, and the African Press Network, http://www.rap21.org .

WAN is a leading provider of industry research and analysis through its Shaping the Future of the Newspaper project, which provides WAN members and subscribers with Strategy Reports on these developments, a library of case studies and business ideas, and a wealth of other vital information for all those who need to follow press industry trends. More about the project, and the benefits of WAN membership, can be found at http://www.futureofthenewspaper.com .

WAN conducts the SFN project with support from four international partners -- PubliGroupe, the Swiss-based international advertising and promotion group; MAN Roland, a leading company for newspaper production systems; UPM, one of the world's leading printing paper producers; and Telenor, the leading Norwegian telecommunications, IT and media group. The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 76 national newspaper associations, newspaper companies and individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 12 news agencies and 10 regional and world-wide press groups.

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Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications, WAN, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: lkilman@wan.asso.fr