Monetising digital content and the marriage of journalism with data and technology top the global debate about the present day and the future of media.
Fourteen Digital media managers and content producers from Algeria, Armenia, Egypt, Georgia, Libya, Moldova and Ukraine participated with the OPEN Media Hub at the WAN IFRA Digital Content Expo in Berlin on October 9-11 to learn from the best in print and digital media development. This top-level print and online management event discussed issues such as innovative digital storytelling, audience development and engagement, use of advanced visialisation techniques such as virtual and augmented reality in news, artificial intelligence in news production. Monetisation of content topped the agenda of the professional discussions at the event.
In two years time, if you’re not charging for content, you’ll be paying for a very expensive funeral: Juan Señor President of Innovation, London, UK, former journalist for PBS’s NewsHour, EBN-Wall Street Journal TV and CNBC Europe
The Digital Content Expo was organised alongside a trade exhibition featuring the whole range of businesses related to digital and print media: from printing and publishing equipment to startups focused on innovative content management system development, animation, digital marketing etc. To provide added value, for OPEN Media Hub participants the event started with a detailed briefing by Thomson Media Director David Quin and OPEN Media Hub expert Veselin Vachkov, head of the Czech newspaper Lidove Noviny. Mr. Vachkov accompanied the participants throughout the event, helping them identify the most relevant and interesting discussions and meet with potential partners from the European and global media industry. One common concern discussed at the forum was the near monopoly on advertising and content distribution held by social media giants and the need to need to develop own and sustainable business models not dependent on the social media giants and on advertising revenues.
If your business depends on Facebook, Google or some of the other giants, you don’t have a business”, Veselin Vachkov reminder to participants.
Upon the end of the event the OPEN Media Hub expert hosted a follow up workshop and a series of individual consultations with managers to make them make the most of the lessons learned and map out their needs for further support. Special attention was given to the advantages of print media, here’s Veselin Vachkov’s advice:
Print is not dead. Learn to market its advantages: the newspaper can offer deep reading, it is an alternative to screen fatigue, and the much desired “slow food” for the reader. Quality still matters: longer formats and breaking news still generate the greatest audience.
Here’s what some of the participants made of the event.
Karen Harutunyan, CivilNet Armenia
It’s a unique opportunity the OPEN Media Hub provides to get acquainted with your fellow colleagues from the Eastern Neighborhood countries and not only, it was a pleasure also to meet my colleagues from Algeria, Egypt and Libya, to practice my almost forgotten Arabic. While sometimes you think that the problems and challenges that you have in your country are endemic, in reality these challenges, these problems that the reporters have are general challenges and it’s good to learn each other’s experience…This sort of opportunities give us unique chance to to be out-of-the-box thinkers”
Alina Radu, Moldova newspaper Ziarul de Garda
I was very glad to discover that other people say, not only me, that quality journalism can survive, can develop and it is not only about ads, but it is about readers who care, who can donate, who can become a community”.
Talaat Ismail, Shorouk Newspaper Egypt
The media needs a new generation with an open mind.
Read his article about the event (in Arabic) here
and in Google translation in the pdf file here:
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Mohamed Lahouazi from Echorouk Online, Algeria:
The lion’s share at the Expo was for start-ups that are active in providing high-quality digital and technological services, offering solutions to e-publishers in particular to measure and engage the audience and gain more readers across media.
Read his article about the event (in Arabic) here
and in Google translation in the pdf file here:
The pioneers of electronic publishing and digital content meet in Berlin - Shorouk Online
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