Pune to host WAN-IFRA India 2012 Conference
To be held during September 26-27, the conference will address the challenges and opportunities of newsroom, printing and cross-media advertising environments
For the first time, the city of Pune, which was recently rated as the second best city in India to live in will play the perfect host to this year’s WAN-IFRA India Conference, to be held at Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre. WAN-IFRA India 2012, the twentieth annual conference of WAN-IFRA South Asia, will have three parallel tracks, including Newsroom Summit, Printing Summit and Cross-media Advertising Summit, to discuss the business and technology challenges and provide a direction into the future of the news publishing industry in the region. The conference will draw much significance in the backdrop of the digital media revolution facing the South Asian news publishing industry in one hand and the challenge of managing the growth of print media business on the other hand.
The conference will be preceded by two pre conference workshops on the topics, including: 'Online video production' and 'PDF workflow'. More than 400 delegates are expected to attend the event. Further details of the event and the conference topics will be available soon.
Goss International merges legal entities in France
Uniting their two operations in France as a single corporate entity on January 1, 2012, Goss International took another step to enhance service to customers through its manufacturing and support centers in Europe. The organizational move will not impact capabilities or the size of the workforce at the major European facilities that Goss International maintains in Nantes and Montataire, France as well as Preston, England and Boxmeer, The Netherlands.
“We continue to provide printers and publishers with a unique combination of local responsiveness and a worldwide manufacturing platform, including major press and auxiliary manufacturing operations in Europe,” commented Jochen Meissner, Goss International president and CEO, adding, “Merging legal entities in France is a natural step that will increase transparency for our customers.” Following the merger of the current Goss International Montataire, SA and Goss Systèmes Graphiques Nantes, SAS legal entities, Goss International resources at the two facilities in France will operate as Goss International France.
Goss M-600, Sunday 5000, and Sunday 4000 commercial web presses as well as Colorliner, Uniliner and Universal newspaper press models are manufactured at the Goss International facility in Montataire. The Nantes facility maintains responsibility for engineering and service for the above mentioned newspaper press models. Among projects currently in process at the Goss Montataire facility are a Colorliner CPS eight-tower newspaper press that will be delivered to Scotland in 2012, a Sunday 5000 96-page web press that will be installed in Germany, and Sunday 4000 short-grain presses for printers in Germany and France.
INMA Awards 2012:calls for entries
To reward excellence in marketing newsmedia brands worldwide, INMA has called for entries from newsmedia companies throughout the world for 77th INMA Awards 2012. The awards competition rewards global best practices in: growing brand, growing audience, growing advertising, deepening engagement and rapidly developing new products. Other criteria include copywriting, graphic design, and production. INMA has created an Online Entry Management System (OEMS) that allows to easily uploade all of the necessary criteria and imagery necessary to participate in the compitition.
The entries must be prepared and uploaded by newsmedia company, newsmedia representative, advertising agency, or public relations firm working on the company’s behalf. Entries must have been executed during the 2011 calendar year. If entering from an ongoing campaign that was entered in a previous year, must submit new work from the campaign. About each of the entries, there should be no more than six files per entry and each file not exceeding 20MB. Accepted file types are JPEG, PDF, MP3, WMA, WMV and MOV. Under ‘Objectives and Results’, there is a 330-word limit for each field. For video campaign include a direct link to the video either in the Objectives or Results portion of the entry.
The awards will be presented at the closing dinner of the INMA World Congress in Los Angeles, USA on May 8, 2012. Contest entry deadline is January 31, 2012.
For further details contact: www.inma.org/modules/awards
India's first woman photojournalist passes away
Homai Vyarawalla, India's first woman photojournalist, passed away in Vadodara on Jan 15, 2012 at the age of 98. Popularly known by her pseudonym ‘Dalda 13’, she was awarded Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award of India. The veteran photojournalist contributed a number of memorable photographs during her career beginning from 1930s.
HT Media Printworks repeats successfully
The ‘Ptintworks’ initiative taken up by HT Media has been continuing bringing confidence to advertisers in print media significantly. The recent activity concluded in New Delhi for business owners and decision makers who wanted to advertise their business or product facilitated to learn everything about print advertising such as proven marketing strategies, range of leading publication to choose from, targeted ad placements, incredible savings, etc. Coming along the HT media’s free marketing expo and seminar the visitors were introduced to one-on-one consultation to discuss business and marketing goals and plan how HT Media Printworks can help them achieve the goals through print advertising.
Goss directly supports printers and publishers in Germany
Goss International recently established a new direct service and support team for printers and publishers operating Goss web press systems in Germany. The Heidelberg network previously assisted Goss customers in the country, a successful arrangement which followed the acquisition of Heidelberg Web Systems by Goss International. “With increasingly advanced and specialized Goss presses in production in Germany, including 96-page Sunday 5000 systems, a direct link with the original designer and manufacturer of the technology for parts and service will be beneficial to our customers,” explained Antoine Chevalier, service director for Goss International in Europe.
Firms raise price of papers with increasing demand
The paper industry in India is getting good sign for business with increasing demand of papers due to the beginning of new academic sessions, announcement of assembly election in five states and increasing exports with the effect of rupee getting weaker against doller. The prevailing scenario encouraged companies such as BILT and JK Papers Ltd to raise their prices once again in the Q4 of this FY. The industry experts are expecting that the demand of papers will increase further in coming days.
New content management solution from Atex
Atex recently introduced its new browser-based content management solution, designed to help media companies manage their entire workflow with one cloud-based publishing environment which delivers content across multiple channels. “With its ability to provide an integrated, single user interface to handle the entire workflow, from content gathering to pagination to online delivery, Atex Content offers a complete end-to-end solution that will improve efficiencies by eliminating unnecessary steps in the process,” said Stewart Bowley, VP of product management, Content at Atex, adding, “We strive to help companies grow their business with tools to simplify workflows and reduce ownership costs.”
Featuring Atex Web CMS integration, the new solution offers media companies a single view of all digital and print content. This enables newsroom and production tasks to occur simultaneously, reducing the expense and manual effort associated with meeting production deadlines. The browser-based high-performance system has a flexible and role-relevant user interface framework and provides a unique ‘mash-up’ capability to integrate Atex applications directly within other third-party software programmes. Atex Content is available on a wide variety of platforms, including the PC, Macintosh, or any device with a web browser and the plug-in installed, meaning it can be used both in-house and remotely. It supports all journalist functionality including easy access to wire content. Integrated text mining creates greater content consistency and improves the accuracy, speed and relevancy of users’ search experience.
Baldwin to be acquired by Forsyth
One of the global leaders in process automation technology for the print media industry, Baldwin Technology Company Inc recently announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Forsyth Baldwin, LLC, a company controlled by Forsyth Capital Investors, LLC. The agreement was unanimously approved by Baldwin’s Board of Directors.
The merger agreement permits the board to solicit, receive, evaluate and enter into negotiations with respect to alternative proposals through January 28, 2012. The Board, with the assistance of its advisors, will actively solicit alternative proposals during this period. There can be no assurance that this process will result in a superior offer. If there is no superior offer, the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2012, subject to customary approvals and closing conditions.
As per Mark Becker, CEO of Baldwin, “The transaction will improve Baldwin's financial strength and enable it to continue to operate effectively in its current markets and beyond. Forsyth’s financial resources and management experience will accelerate the turnaround of Baldwin already underway. We believe this is a strong transaction for our stockholders, employees, customers and other partners."
Partnership between Atex and Zissor
A partnership announced recently between two global businesses, is set to revolutionise the publishing industry, as media companies will be offered a second opportunity to monetise content. Atex, a global software solutions provider for media-rich industries, is strengthening its position as market leader by teaming up with Zissor, a world-leading supplier of end-to-end solutions for industrial conversion of newspapers and other physical documents to electronically searchable information. As per Jon Asakskogen, CEO of Zissor, “This is a significant partnership, which enables us to offer an extended ‘one-stop-shop’ solution to publishers. Zissor is proud to be affiliated with Atex and to be launching our first project in Brazil early next year.” Alexandre Carvalho, CEO for Atex Latin America, added, “Atex and Zissor are both global suppliers in the same market, and we are confident that this collaboration will bring unparalleled technologies and solutions to the media and help them boost
their income.”
Quark among top companies in digital content
With the ability to remain a driving force in a turbulent publishing industry, and its efforts to automate multichannel delivery without losing a focus on design and the user experience, Quark has been named to EContent magazine’s list of the 100 most influential companies in the digital content industry. Quark has been named to the list for the past three years. The EC100 is an annual list determined by judges who include Information Today, Inc. editors, EContent magazine contributing editors, and other experts in the digital content industry. “We thank the EContent 100 judges for recognizing the importance of Quark’s support for digital media such as the iPad as part of the Quark dynamic publishing solution. As communication channels expand, companies are wrestling with producing digital content while maintaining their print and web support. Quark software automates publishing to all channels while taking advantage of the capabilities of each media type, and we specifically aim to meet the needs of individual designers, agencies, magazines, newspapers, as well as financial services, manufacturing, and governmental organizations,” commented PG Bartlett, senior vice president of product management
at Quark.
Growing enterprise business
Meanwhile, Quark announced that in the third quarter of 2011 the company grew its dynamic enterprise publishing business by over 30 percent year-over-year. The growth is attributed to new clients in the manufacturing, financial services, government, and publishing industries, as well as to the debut of Quark App Studio, a key component of Quark’s digital publishing solution for both enterprise and desktop publishers. Looking ahead, the company expects sustained or increased growth in enterprise dynamic publishing across its target industries as well as significant growth in digital publishing.
During the third quarter Quark made significant strides in moving the digital publishing industry forward by bringing to market Quark App Studio. In conjunction with QuarkXPress 9.1 and Quark Publishing System 9.1, Quark App Studio enables digital publishing to the iPad and other digital formats without requiring development skills. Quark’s cost-effective and familiar approach to digital publishing is ideal for small and large organizations alike.
Arab World remains the most deadly
region for journalists
Sixty-four journalists and other media workers were killed world-wide because of their professional activities in 2011, with nearly half of them killed in Pakistan, Iraq, Libya and Yemen, said WAN-IFRA. Ten journalists were killed in Pakistan for the second consecutive year, making it again the most deadly country for journalists. “When journalists are attacked and killed merely for doing their jobs, the entire society suffers. The right of all citizens to the free flow of information is diminished by these acts. These murders must be prosecuted thoroughly and the perpetrators brought to justice,” said Christoph Riess, CEO of WAN-IFRA.
The Arab region was the world’s most dangerous region for media professionals, with twenty-two journalists killed. The brutal repression that followed widespread popular uprisings in Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen cost the lives of sixteen journalists. Journalism in Iraq remains a dangerous profession, as six journalists lost their lives in the country last year.
Mexico remains the most dangerous country for journalists in the Western hemisphere, with six journalists in 2011, as coverage of organised crime and corruption have put journalists in the line of fire.
The 2011 death toll, released after an investigation into all potential media murders, compares with 66 killed in 2010, 99 killed in 2009, 70 killed in 2008, 95 killed in 2007 and 110 killed in 2006. Though many journalists are killed covering war and conflict, they’re also targeted and murdered in many countries for investigating organised crime, drug trafficking, corruption and other crimes. They are often killed with impunity, with nobody brought to justice for the murders in the majority of cases. Journalists and other media workers were killed in 27 countries in 2011: Afghanistan (2); Azerbaijan (1); Bahrain (1); Brazil (3); Colombia (1); Democratic Republic of Congo (1); Dominican Republic (1); Egypt (2); Honduras (1); India (2); Iraq (6); Libya (5); Mexico (6); Pakistan (10); Panama (1); Paraguay (1); Peru (2); Philippines (2); Russia (1); Sierra Leone (1); Somalia (3); Syria (1); Thailand (1); Tunisia (1); Uganda (1); Vietnam (1); and Yemen (6). Several press freedom organisations track the number of journalists killed each year. The numbers vary based on the criteria used by different associations. WAN-IFRA’s figures include all media workers killed in the line of duty or targeted because of their work. It also includes cases where the motive for the killings is unsure or where official investigations have not been completed.
Kodak marks another
milestone in newspaper segment
US-based newspaper The Albany Herald becomes 100th customer for Kodak PF-N non process plates
To improve prepress efficiency, the Albany Herald selected Kodak PF-N non process plates for its location in Albany, Georgia (US), where, under the umbrella of Gray Publishing, it prints a daily newspaper. The publisher chose the Kodak PF-N non process plates for their exceptional imaging quality, productivity enhancements, potential cost savings and added environmental attributes. With the installation, the Albany Herald became Kodak’s 100th PF-N non process plate customer.
According to Todd Bigger, global current marketing director of Offset Solutions at Kodak, the customer base for PF-N plates has grown tremendously as more newspapers, like the Albany Herald, opt for prepress solutions that not only improve productivity and image quality, but also their environmental footprint. “With the use of process-free technology, companies are able to reach higher levels of both sustainability and efficiency. With this latest installation milestone, it is clear that the movement towards process-free technology is truly gaining momentum in the newspaper publishing industry,” said Bigger.
Kodak PF-N non process plates can reduce costs by completely eliminating the need for processors, related maintenance, and processing chemistry expenses. These plates use a write-the-image, non-ablative technology, where final print preparation occurs on press as part of the standard make-ready process without any press contamination. By removing the traditional processing step, Kodak PF-N plates shorten the platemaking cycle and eliminate the need for any special handling of processing chemicals. This simplifies platemaking process enabling PF-N plates to deliver more jobs per shift with faster turnaround times, and ultimately saving companies both time and money.
Replacing a conventional plate system, the Albany Herald installed the PF-N plates in 2011, and the company has been more than satisfied with its decision. “The plates are everything we thought they would be. The quality is excellent and the longevity of the plates is also really good. They are exceeding our expectations,” said Lynn Ridder, operations director at the Albany Herald. At the Albany Herald, the PF-N plates are used on the Kodak Trendsetter News platesetter, which is known for its stability and outstanding image quality. The newspaper also relies on Kodak Prinergy workflow system and Kodak Preps imposition software for enhanced workflow productivity and improved automation.
World’s Press condemns threats and violence
against Pakistani journalists
WAN-IFRA and the World Editors Forum have expressed deep concern as growing threats against journalists in Pakistan and called on Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari to ensure their protection. "State agencies have a duty to protect, not intimidate, journalists,” the global press organisations said in a letter to the president. ”The threat of violence has created a climate of fear among journalists that promotes self-censorship." Prominent Pakistani editor and TV presenter, Najam Sethi, the laureate of the 2009 WAN-IFRA Golden Pen of Freedom, was threatened after he raised questions about the military's role in politics. According to reports, 29 journalists have been killed in Pakistan in the past five years, many of them for carrying out their professional duties.
Pre-press plate automation with NELA
Opting NELA as the prepress plate automation and lock supplier, The Columbian of Vancouver recently ordered NELA’s, VISIO, Vision Register Punch Bender for inline connection with its new CtP system. NELA’s VISIO is one of the highest quality, most cost effective inline Vision Register Punch and Bending solutions available today. In conjunction with its web width reduction from 50” to 44” through Pressline Services, The Columbian also selected NELA Metro Lock Ups to replace all of its existing locks. The NELA lock up design includes a built in Lead Edge, designed to cover and replace the existing lead edge on the Goss Metro press. Jeff Stalcup, production director of The Columbian stated, ‘The Lead Edge NELA Lock Up eliminated the potential need for costly and time consuming machining of the existing cylinder inserts.”
New offering from WoodWing
WoodWing recently released Enterprise 7.5, the latest version of their multi-channel publishing system Enterprise, featuring a tight integration with Adobe Digital Publishing Suite (DPS). The integration enables publishers to take advantage of the workflow benefits offered by Enterprise for the creation of print, tablet and web editions, while leveraging the Adobe DPS platform to distribute publications to tablet devices. Enterprise 7.5 also features a number of other enhancements, in particular of the Content Station multi-channel text editor, and supports the latest version 5.5 of Adobe Creative Suite.
KS Khurana leads new team at IPAMA
Indian Printing, Packaging and Allied Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (IPAMA), at its 85th Governing Council meeting, elected new office bearers and Governing Council members for the term 2012-2014. Unanimously elected new team of the office bearers include: KS Khurana (Five Star Printing Machinery Co, Amritsar), president; CP Paul (APL Machinery Pvt Ltd, Faridabad), general secretary; JS Kalsi (Kalbro Manufacturing Co, Faridabad), treasurer; CP Dahra (Dahra Engineering Co, Faridabad), vice president – east; S Rajaram (Erhardt + Leimer (India) Pvt Ltd, Ahmedabad), vice president – west; Satish Bajwa (Pressline India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi), vice president – north; TR Mahajan (Indo Poly Machines Corporation, Amritsar), vice president – south; Shafiq Ahmed (Sahil Graphics, Faridabad), joint secretary – east; Manish A Panchal (Kohima Machine Tools, Ahmedabad), joint secretary – west; Ashok Kumar Seth (Amritsar Engineering Works, Amritsar), joint secretary – north; and Dayaker Sripathi Reddy (Gutenberg Machinery Manufacturers Pvt Ltd/Sai Enterprises, Hyderabad) joint secretary – south.
Saving 25,000 trees in just four months
-ITC and Ramky Group’s collective effort
Building on the success of WOW (Wealth Out of Waste) and as a part of the year long National Recycling Day celebrations, ITC in association with the Ramky Group had launched SOLT – ‘Save One Lakh Trees and Educate Poor Children programme on July 1, 2011’, have achieved a major milestone of saving 25,000 trees in just four months. ITC celebrated the success recently. As a responsible corporate entity ITC’s Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division, initiated last year a recycling programme – WOW or ‘Wealth Out of Waste’ - a project that aims to reduce at least 15-25 percent of the garbage load through source segregation. The programme is operational in Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin, Bhadrachalam, Coimbatore and Madurai.
Recycling today, is clearly one of the most important and viable ways to combat the challenges of resource depletion. At least 30 percent of the net MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) is recyclable. Reducing inert materials, the net MSW could be 373 million MT per annum and at a conservative recovery level of 15 percent at all India level.
Finnish media group relies
on wifag automation solutions
The success of thewifag automation solutions for the newspaper production industry continues with the order to replace the existing command and control console. The media group Suomen Lehtiyhtymä Oy in Finland has ordered a command retrofit for its existing OF370 printing press which includes a new control console as well as a new wifag softproof solution to enhance quality control for their printing center. The replacement of the existing system will allow the customer to have a consistent and coherent command system for the whole press line. This cost-efficient investment prolongs the useful life of the press and makes a decisive contribution to efficiency and the operator friendliness.
Gearing up Publish Asia 2012
With the theme of ‘Shaping the Future of News Publishing’, Publish Asia 2012 is to be held in Bali (Indonesia) during April 10-12. The event will feature four concurrent conferences, including: the CEO conference, Advertising Summit Asia, Newsroom Summit Asia, and Printing Summit Asia. The four conferences will be supplemented by learning workshops and several networking functions. The prestigious Asian Media Awards will also be presented at the Gala Dinner.
Securing sufficient energy supply
Norske Skog mill which produces newsprint, with the United Kingdom as the largest single market, recently signed a long-term energy contract with NTE (Nord-Trøndelag Elektrisitetsverk) for the supply of electricity for the paper mill at Skogn. The new agreement, together with an agreement that was signed with Statkraft last year, secures Norske Skog Skogn sufficient energy for full operation of the mill. The new agreement with NTE ensures supply of 0.4 TWh per year until 31.12.2018. Skogn is one of the most environmentally sound and effective paper mills in Europe.
Pressline continues strengthening installation
base in book printing segment
After being highly acclaimed by the newspaper segment, Pressline continues strengthening installation base in book printing segment. The success story started with book printing web offset supplied to International Print O Pack Pvt Ltd (IPP) at Noida and now a lot printers have recognized the Pressline products for book printing segment. Recently, a 4HI tower for 4/4 colour printing with a Quarter Page has been supplied to Lakshmi Offset, Shivakasi which is a highly sensitive printing market.
The other book printers who have been supplied Pressline machines are Bhagat Printers, Chennai and SDR Printers, Noida. Next two machines are being supplied to Ahmedabad's reputed book printers. Apart from the domestic market, Pressline has also shipped a machine to South Sudan to a Charitable Institution which wants to print newspaper as well as books. The configuration meant for them is for one 4HI tower and two mono units with the Quarter Page folder of the PRIMA model.
Book printer's choice for Pressline (specially PRIMA model) is basically on account of the fact that machine has double roll stand with semi-automatic splicing facility which helps to change the roll at the speed of 4 - 5 K resulting in saving of time and precious paper.
First Smartline double width from Manugraph
with QI Press Controls successful in operation
Last year, Manugraph sold its first ‘Smartline’ double width press in India to Malayala Manorama, and QI Press Controls India was proud to be part of this project, supplying 48 mRC+ scanning heads to automatically control colour and cut-off register.
The investment in the Manugraph Smartline double width press was an ambitious project as Malayala Manorama was opting for such press in India and obviously they expected from their suppliers that they would be able to provide support in the best possible way. QI Press Controls proved itself as a good partner. “The total scope on the Manugraph Smartline double width press was 18 mRC+ scanners for automatic colour register control and 30 mRC+ scanners for cut-off and is working to the fullest satisfaction. It is offering the best possible print quality, whereas the waste levels are kept to an absolute minimum. This will definitely contribute to a good ROI on the total investment. And with the presence of our office in Bangalore, backed-up by the Indian main office in Ahmedabad, Malayala Manorama is fully secured of good local service and support whenever needed,” commented Vijay Pandya, managing director of QI Press Controls India.
One of the biggest newspaper groups in South India, the Malayala Manorama Group has now 43 publications all over India in five languages (English, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Bengali). Malayala Manorama is their flagship daily newspaper in Malayalam language, having a readership of over 16 million (with a circulation of over 1.8 million copies).
New CEO at Atex Asia
A leading software company providing solutions for media-rich industries, Atex has appointed Jerome Laredo as chief executive officer for Asia. Based at Atex Asia’s headquarters in Singapore, Jerome will support and guide the region’s accelerated growth and development, to a multi-industry digital content and advertising innovator.
Reducing waste levels with QuadTech
Norway's largest publisher of consumer magazines, Hjemmet Mortensen revealed that they had reduced waste during the make-ready stage by at least 40 percent after upgrading their Goss M4000 1225mm, 32-page web-offset press with QuadTech's register guidance and ribbon control technology. "Almost all our output of magazines is destined for the domestic market, where the top-selling titles have runs of 1,50,000. As a result, we perform relatively short runs, with as many as 15 change-overs per day. So we are always seeking ways to reduce make-ready time and start-up waste," commented Harald Andersen, Hjemmet Mortensen's technical director.
"The M4000 press performed consistently since Mortensen commissioned it for the Oslo plant in 1994. We have enjoyed many years of reliable service from QuadTech's RGS IV technology on both our presses, and we felt the time was right to refurbish the press with new generation press control technology that could achieve registration and colour accuracy in a shorter time, apart from reducing wastes," added Andersen.
Further retrofit success for ABB
One of the leading suppliers of automation solutions for the newspaper production industry, ABB announced a further order for its retrofit solutions for Wifag printing presses. The print center of the St Galler Tagblatt AG in St Gallen-Winkeln, Switzerland, has ordered a drives retrofit for two of its existing Wifag OF470 printing towers and also a drives and control system retrofit for two reelstands.
The existing drives will be replaced by modern ABB ACSM1 drives. The old reelstand control system (WCON) will be removed and its place will be taken by a new control system based on ABB’s AC500 PLC. The operator displays are also being replaced by new models. All new systems will be fitted into the existing cabinets. The retrofitting of the two printing towers and two reelstands means that the removed hardware components can then serve as spare parts for the remaining units of the presses at St Gallen-Winkeln. This in turn means that the print center of the St Galler Tagblatt can keep its presses running for a long time to come. The new systems will be commissioned in the course of 2012.
RNI report 2010-11
The RNI’s 55th annual report ‘Press in India’ 2010-11 highlighted key trends for the Indian press for the Year 2010-11. The analysis provides a broad overview about the general trend of the Indian press based on the number and claimed circulation of newspapers.
As per the report, the total number of registered newspapers stood at 82,237. While 4,853 new newspapers were registered during 2010-11. The percentage of growth for registered publications over the previous year remained 6.25 percent. RNI approved 13,229 titles for the year 2010 ending March 31st 2011. The largest number of newspapers and periodicals registered in any Indian language was in Hindi with a figure of 32,793. English had the second largest number of newspapers and periodicals which was 11,478. The total circulation of newspapers stood at 32,92,04,841 as against 30,88,16,563 copies in 2009-10. As per the data received, the highest number of newspapers were published in Hindi (7,910), followed by English (1,406), Urdu (938), Gujarati (761), Telugu (603), Marathi (521), Bengali (472), Tamil (272), Oriya (245), Kannada (200) and Malayalam (192). In terms of circulation, according to the report, Hindi newspapers continued to lead with 15,54,94,770 copies followed by English with 5,53,70,184 copies. Whereas Urdu press had a figure of 2,16,39,230 copies.
Scoopshot continues expanding services globally
Owned by Helsinki- based P2S Media Group Inc, a mobile crowdsourcing news photo service ‘Scoopshot’ continues enhancing their support to newspaper industry. Recently Metro International, the world's largest international newspaper, signed a
co-operation deal with Scoopshot, giving its readers the opportunity to capture and sell their news photos to Metro through Scoopshot's iPhone or Android application. The first Metro countries to launch Scoopshot were Sweden and Denmark, but now the newspaper has decided to expand Scoopshot crowdsourcing to more markets around the world.
Media companies throughout the world are looking for opportunities to find new ways to produce content more efficiently. Crowdsourcing is a cost effective and engaging way to do it. "We believe that crowdsourcing photography can solve many of the problems media currently face and even more, allowing people to earn money for the news photos they capture but still retain their intellectual property rights," conveyed Niko Ruokosuo, CEO of P2S Media Group.
The Scoopshot application is available for Android and iPhone platforms. Major media and directory companies in Finland, Sweden and Denmark use the application, with over 30,000 users and 71,200 photos sold. It gives smart phone users an opportunity to earn money by sending their photos to media. For media, Scoopshot offers an easy-to-use online photo store solution from which journalists can purchase fresh eyewitness photos and send out location-based photography assignments for the users within the community. The major advantage of their Scoopshot services include: providing access to unique and relevant content, lower cost of photography, continuous stream of local content optimal for local news publishing and fully searchable databank availability.
On the occasion of signing a co-operation deal with Metro International, Niko had commented that "Metro is an ideal partner for us as we expand our service globally. With the size and brand of Metro, we can prove the benefits of crowdsourcing and mobile photo content creation on a large scale. And so they have proved in a few months. As per Metro International's president and CEO Per Mikael Jensen, "Our experience with accessing and using user generated content via Scoopshot in Sweden and Denmark has been great for Metro and its readers. We have received useful and interesting content from our readers on a daily basis in these markets, and we see no reason not to take advantage of this service globally."
"It has been great to see how a modern and active media company like Metro can really take advantage of crowdsourcing and how it can energize the whole media. Now, the advantages can be reaped by any newspaper or media company," stated Niko further, adding, "With the Metro deal, we will have more than 150,000 mobile photographers and global coverage with Scoopshot during Q2 of 2012,"
P2S Media is also looking for local media partners in India and Asia to expand their user base and towards this, the company participated prominently in the WAN-IFRA Expo India 2011, Chennai.
Muller Martini prepares for the drupa 2012
For a changing market environment, Muller Martini will present the world premiere of solutions, under the motto “one world – one drupa” in hall 14, booth C21 at the leading trade fair in the print and media industry to be held from May 03-16 in Dusseldorf.
At its 2,100 sq m booth, Muller Martini will display a total of ten machine exhibits from all of its business divisions: variable size web-offset printing presses, saddle stitchers, perfect binders, hardcover systems, newspaper mailroom systems as well as systems for modern digital book production. With hybrid solutions for digital finishing, Muller Martini is focusing on smart process solutions for existing and new markets.
“The digital market as well as profitability and added value of the products are just as important as our life cycle management,” says Bruno Müller, CEO of Muller Martini, “Visitors to our booth will be able to see for themselves that Muller Martini has the right answers to these issues.” With solutions from Muller Martini, printing houses and finishing companies can position themselves successfully in a changing market environment and stand out from their competition with a new flexibility and efficiency. Highest standards of quality, state-of-the-art technology, process automation and intelligent networking are the main elements that Muller Martini will be showcasing at the drupa 2012.
Davan Maharaj becomes the 15th
editor of Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times appointed Davan Maharaj as its new editor succeeding, Russ Stanton. He has become the 15th editor of The Times.
Maharaj has served as managing editor for news at The Times since May 2008, overseeing the foreign, national, metro, sports and business departments. "As Russ Stanton moves on to the next phase of his career, we are extremely fortunate to have someone as talented and experienced as Davan Maharaj who can step in immediately with energy and vision for how to continue The Times' advancement in the digital age," said The Times president and chief operating officer Kathy Thomson. "I am humbled and honored to lead one of the most talented and resilient newsrooms," said Maharaj, adding "We've made huge strides in getting our journalism to wide and diverse audiences across Southern California and beyond. We will continue to push forward, especially in the digital and mobile space. Our commitment to delivering high-quality journalism remains unwavering."
