The 13th World Editors Forum

Editorial Strategies for the "Free Generation"

In many countries the average age of newspaper readers is over 50. Younger generations are not replacing older readers. Instead they are accustomed to getting their news from free papers and free Internet sites, essentially making them the “free generation”.

What can newspapers do to adapt to the changing habits of youth? The 13th World Editors Forum will explore new strategies that newspapers can use in connecting with the “free generation”, such as:
-      embracing citizen journalism
-      offering multimedia services
-      developing weekend editions and supplements
-      protecting newspaper credibility…
 
At the World Editors Forum we are certain that our selection of outstanding speakers will give you numerous ideas for your own newspaper. More than 300 editors-in-chief representing the worldwide community of editors joined the Forum last year in Seoul. We expect even more senior news executives at the Moscow conference.
 
Because we will be in Russia, we have prepared focused social activities that will provide a better understanding of this country in transition, including meetings with past and present leaders.  Don’t miss the opening at the Kremlin Palace!
 
This year’s Forum will also include more networking and socializing activities. At least seven special events are reserved for editors-in-chief, a unique occasion to meet colleagues from around the world.

More on the World Editors Forum: www.worldeditorsforum.org or e-mail to bpecquerie@wan.asso.fr

The Forum
Schedule

Sunday 4 June

9h30 – 12h30
'The Russian Media: From Dictatorship to Democracy'
The Annual Press Freedom Round Table

The Digital Advertising Explosion - Exploiting the Potential of Our Media
The Annual Digital Media Round Table

Winning Strategies for the New Generation
The Annual Young Reader Round Table

(These events are open to all participants and take place at the Marriott Grand Hotel, 26, Tverskaya Street, Moscow)

17h30 – 18h30 
Editors cocktail
"Editors meet editors meet editors meet…"
First contact between editors participating in the Forum. Presentation of the 2006 WEF Partnership Programme. 
Introduction by George Brock, WEF President
Location: The Conservatory Lounge & Bar, Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow Hotel,
4 Neglinnaya Street (close to the Kremlin walls and the Bolshoi Theatre)
The cocktail party is sponsored by Troika Dialogue.

19h30 
Welcome party and concert at the Moscow International Music House, sponsored by the Moscow Government. 
Address by: Yuri Luzhkov, Mayor of Moscow. Concert by the Virtuozy Moskvy and Yuri Bashment, violinist, and Ballet soloists of the Bolshoi theatre.

Monday 5 June

08h15 – 9h30
First editors breakfast
"WEF meets Russian editors, columnists and top journalists"
With the participation of Len Walker, BBC Monitoring
Guest speaker: Vladimir Yakunin, Head of the Russian Railway Co.
Attendance limited to pre-registered participants.
At the Manege Café, first floor, Contact: bpecquerie@wan.asso.fr

10h00 – 12h00 
Opening Ceremony at the Kremlin State Palace (joint session with the World Newspaper Congress)

Musical interludes under the direction of Vladimir Spivakov, Founder, Principal Conductor and Music Director of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia and Children's Chorus, directed by Vladimir Spivakov, Founder, Music Director and Principal Conductor; Denis Matsuev, pianist; young violinists from Vologda, North Russia, supported by the Spivakov Foundation.

Welcome addresses by:

• Leonid Makaron, President of the Russian Guild of Press Publishers (GIPP)

• Vladimir Putin, President, Russian Federation*

• Gavin O’Reilly, President, WAN

(* subject to confirmation)

Presentation of the 2006 WAN Golden Pen of Freedom, by

George Brock, President, World Editors Forum, to

Akbar Ganji, Investigative Journalist, Iran

12h10 – 13h00
Editors meeting at the State Kremlin Palace
"WEF Meets the Chairman of the G8 Commission of the Russian Federation, Igor Shuvalov, one month before the G8 St. Petersburg Meeting"
Attendance limited to pre-registered participants. Contact: bpecquerie@wan.asso.fr

13h00 – 13h30
Lunch at the Kremlin State Palace

All Forum sessions take place at the Manege central exhibition hall (next to the Kremlin)

13h45
Opening of Info Services Expo 2006. Sponsored by Reuters.

14h00 – 14h40
Joint session with the World Newspaper Congress
World Trends in the Newspaper Industry: An update, by Timothy Balding, CEO, WAN

15h00 – 15h45  
Keynote speaker

Outlook 2010: How newspapers can manage the "free generation"

• Eli Noam, Professor of Economics and Finance, Columbia University, USA
Today's newspaper will become a news-integrator, but the problem for traditional news organisations is that this type of virtual integrator function can also be done by others says Eli. He also adds that it is not clear what the competitive advantage of established newspapers is in such a virtual model: "They are too big for the specialist shop model, and too expensive or low-tech for the integrator model."

Chairman: George Brock, President, World Editors Forum

15h45 - 16h00 Coffee Break

16h00 – 17h45
First Session: Should newspapers welcome citizen journalists?
The citizen journalism movement is accelerating around the world and more newspapers are integrating readers and bloggers into the news process. But what are the consequences for quality newspaper journalism? By inviting their public to participate, are newspapers harming their primary function or is citizen journalism a useful means of maintaining relationships with the "free generation?"

Wikipedia and newspapers: two forms of collective intelligence
• Jimmy Wales, Director and Founder, Wikipedia, USA
Jimmy is the "new media guy" you cannot miss. Wikipedia, his online encyclopedia, is one of the most successful websites on the internet. Together with its news spinoff, Wikinews, wikimedians have created alternatives to traditional media.

Does news still need editors?
• Steve Herrmann, Editor-in-Chief, BBC News Interactive, United Kingdom
Newspapers have a lot to learn from BBC News Interactive which welcomed citizen journalists, blog writers and amateur photographs months before established newspapers. Steve will present a round-up of the Beeb's experiences.

A community in conversation with itself
• Steve Yelvington, Vice President of content and strategy, Morris Digital Works, USA
Are you familiar with the Bluffton Today? It's the example of a US local newspaper that Steve likes to use when presenting how local newspapers can transform themselves into hyperlocal community websites that publish news alongside photo galleries, an events calendar and blogs.

Chairman: Erik Bjerager, Editor-In-Chief, Kristeligt Dagblad, Denmark

20h00
Dinner and entertainment at Kolomenskoye, the 17th century summer residence of the Russian Tsars

Tuesday 6 June

8h00 – 9h00
Second editors breakfast
"WEF meets new and future members"
Attendance limited to pre-registered participants. At the Manege Café, first floor, Contact: bpecquerie@wan.asso.fr

9h15 – 10h45
Second Session: Convergence II: multimedia is now ready for print
Multimedia convergence is back and this time, powered by broadband, it appears that it is here for good. One of the most pressing dilemmas newspapers face today is how to integrate audio, video and interactivity into their news production. Should print journalists be trained on multiple platforms? Or should newspapers join forces with other media companies to provide multimedia news?

Breaking out: How print publications can embrace multimedia
• Jim Brady, Executive Editor, washingtonpost.com, USA
Two distinct online newspaper business strategies are emerging; The New York Times strategy of a selective online paid-wall and the Washington Post's focus on free access, large audiences and advertsing-based revenues explained by Jim.

Readers need new online services
• Chrystia Freeland, US Edition Editor, Financial Times, USA/UK
News organisations have been reluctant to change their analogue business models and newsrooms and their analogue journalism in order to adapt to the rising digital storm. Chrystia will explain how these mentalities have changed at FT.com.

How to play more than video games with readers
• Esten Saether, Editor of New Media, Dagbladet, Norway
The Norwegian newspaper offers its online edition in a format for Playstation Portable (PSP). According to Esten, the PSP version is an interesting new way to attract young readers amongst other initiatives.

How broadband will revolutionize Indiatimes
• Sanjay Trehan, Head of Broadband and Head of Content, Indiatimes - Times of India, India
Inditimes is taking a huge leap forward in the digital multimedia world by broadband-enabling all of its content. Sanjay will present how several channels will move from linear, textual format to multi-layered, multimedia format.

Session Chairman: Elizaveta Osetinskaya, Deputy Editor, Vedomosti, Russia

Coffee Break - 10h45

11h00 – 12h15 
Third Session: Web portals and news agencies: new threats to newspapers?
New media mean new competition for newspapers. News aggregators lead readers to other sources and Internet companies produce original content. News agencies directly access the public though their websites, skipping the newspaper middleman. Can newspapers adjust their business models and find the resources to compete or will web portals and news agencies dominate Internet news?

How Yahoo! News partners with newspapers
• Neil Budde, General Manager, Yahoo! News, USA
In 2005, Yahoo! launched The Hot Zone, the most ambitious dive into journalism by an Internet company. But journalistic partnerships are part of the global strategy of Yahoo! and especially Yahoo! News says Neil. For him there is no opposition between old and new media, but a symbiotic relationship.

Google News and the free flow of information
• Nathan Stoll, Google News Product Manager, Google Inc., USA
Google News is sometimes perceived as a threat to brand recognition, online audiences and advertising revenues by the newspaper industry. Nathan thinks exactly the contrary and wants to show the advantages of Google News for news websites, journalists, and readers. This discussion will be open!

Is there a future for press agencies in the new media landscape?
• Pierre Louette, CEO, Agence France Presse /AFP, France
What happens to a news agency when its clients are threatened by media concentration and less profitability? For Pierre, rules have already changed and it is time to redefine and enrich the relationship between press agencies and newspapers.

New media, new users, new world. Creating a Community of the Informed
• Dean Wright, Senior Vice-President and Managing Editor for Consumer Services, Reuters, United Kingdom
Recently, Reuters launched a pilot programme which enabled blogs, news organisations and other online publishers to offer Reuters news videos on their websites. According to Dean, the agency's new strategy aims to broaden Reuters' audience, boost its brand and take advantage of the growing online advertising market.

Chairman: Vladislav Borodoulin, Editor-in-Chief, Kommersant, Russia

12h30 – 14h00
Lunch
"WAN and WEF Meet Dmitry Medvedev, First Vice Minister of the Russian Federation" 
Attendance limited to pre-registered participants. At the Editors luncheon area, ground level, Contact: bpecquerie@wan.asso.fr

14h00 – 15h45 
Fourth Session: Weekend winners: Saturday/Sunday editions and supplements
The statistics are clear: in recent years, many newspapers have maintained high circulations by launching or re-launching weekend editions and supplements. Saturday and Sunday editors have assumed an increasingly important role in the overall success of a newspaper. But what are the consequences for newsrooms? Is lifestyle coverage changing the newspaper and its journalism?

The irresistible rise of the Saturday edition
• George Brock, Saturday Editor, The Times, United Kingdom
In many countries, weekend editions do not boost circulation and are sometimes the lowest numbers of the whole week. British Sunday newspapers have long had big sales, but in the last 15 years Saturday editions have also grown in size, the number of sections and in sale. George will explain why papers have shifted their agenda towards the all-important weekend reader and how they have done it. 

How consumer magazines strengthen the weekend circulation
• Jan Jensen, Editor-in-Chief, Ekstra Bladet, Denmark
Ekstra Blagdet is regaining readership after several years of losses. For Jan, better planning, concentration on readers’ habits and publishing of new supplements are the key factors of this recovery.

How the weekend editions became top sellers in Spain
• Berna Gonzàlez-Harbour, Sub-director, El Pais, Spain
From its launch, El Pais Semanal has been a major success among the Spanish press. Berna will explain how to handle the difference between the weekday and the weekend reader… even if they are often the same people. Lessons learned can be applied to papers from around the world.

Chairman: Bachi Karkaria, Metro Editor, The Times of India, India

Coffee Break - 15h45

16h00 - 17h30 
Fifth Session - Special Panel: Lessons from the Mohammed cartoon clash
On 30 September 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published twelve cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. Sixteen years after the fatwa against Salman Rushie and his “Satanic Verses”, the clash between freedom of expression and religious values exploded once more. Six panelists will discuss if there are limits for press freedom and how media responsibility can work in a globalized world. Don't miss this special panel focused on 2006’s most fascinating editorial debate.

• Two representatives of Jyllands Posten, Denmark

• Khaled El Balshy, Deputy Editor, Al-Dustour, Egypt

• Eric Le Boucher, Co-Editor, Le Monde, France

• Imtiaz Alam, General Secretary, South Asian Free Media Association, Pakistan

• Hakeem Bello, Executive Editor, The National Interest, Nigeria

• Andrei Richter, Director, Moscow Media Law and Policy Institute, Russia

Chairman: Abdul Waheed Khan, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, UNESCO

Evening free.  Option: Visit, followed by dinner, to ExtraM and PKK printing operations, hosted by MAN Roland.  Click here for more details.

Wednesday 7 June

8h00 – 8h50
Third editors breakfast
"WEF meets the International Safety Institute"
With Rodney Pinder, Director of INSI, International Safety Institute, London
WEF will also meet Werner Eggert, Deputy Director, International Institute for Journalism, Berlin
Attendance limited to pre-registered participants.
At the Manege Café, first floor

OR

8h15
The Two Misfortunes of Modern Russia
Special guest speaker: Vladimir Ryzhkov, the senior member of Russia's democratic opposition (Congress Hall)

9h - 10h30
Sixth Session - Special Panel: From tabloid to tablets: the future of news and e-papers
A new generation of electronic readers has appeared: it combines an e-paper display with wireless networking and intuitive user interface. The always up-to-date information and low cost structure should provide the newspaper industry with a revolutionary tool to reconnect with traditional and new readers. But what will be the editorial consequences of e-paper and "tablet-style" newspaper?

Reading beyond the web
• Bill Hill and Michael Cooper, Directors of Advanced Reading Technologies, Microsoft, USA
Starting with American examples, Bill and Michael want to show that there will be new partnerships between old media and tech firms and that there is no reason to worry about the future of the newspaper industry: the “ipod moment” of this industry is just arriving. A special 40 minute presentation (and show)!

Micro media and micro devices: what can be learned from the flemish e-paper field trial?
• Caroline Pauwels, Director of SMITS, Free University of Brussels, Belgium
In Flanders media companies De Tijd, Philips, Belgacom, Hypervision and I-merge recently joined forces with academia to explore the feasibility of e-paper devices in a real life setting. In april 2006, 200 devices were indeed introduced in the market to study technical user-friendliness. Some results of the field trial will be presented by Caroline.

Chairman: Felipe Edwards, WEF Vice-President, Executive Vice-President, La Segunda, Chile

Coffee Break - 10h30

10h45 – 12h00
2006 Global Report on Innovations in Newspapers by the Innovation International Media Consulting Group
(joint session with the World Newspaper Congress)
Presented by Juan Antonio Giner

12h00 – 12h50
WEF Annual General Meeting, including election of new WEF President, 2006 - 2008 (open to all participants)

13h00 – 14h15
Lunch
WAN and WEF meet Mikhaïl Gorbachev, last President of the USSR
Attendance limited to pre-registered participants. At the Editors luncheon area, ground level, Contact: bpecquerie@wan.asso.fr

14h30 – 15h00 
Keynote speaker: Iulia Timochenko, former Prime Minister, Ukraine (subject to confirmation)

15h00 - 16h30
Seventh Session: Success stories from Eastern European newspapers
In Russia, Poland and other Eastern European countries, some smaller titles have performed very well while their popular competition has been losing readers. What are the key factors of these papers’ success? What can editors-in-chief around the world learn from their strategies?

Problems of the modern newspaper industry in Russia
• Raf Shakirov, former Editor, Kommersant, Gazeta and Izvestia, Russia
With a long experience in the Russian press, Raf is already a "veteran" at 46! In September 2004, he was fired as Izvestia editor-in-chief because of the newspaper's coverage of the Beslan hostage drama. Nevertheless he remains optimistic.

Merging ice and fire: The marriage of Nordic newspaper and Spanish design
• Priit Hobemägi, Editor-in-Chief, Eesti Päevaleth, Estonia, and Francisco Amaral, Director, Cases i Associats, Spain
Nobody believed it could work: an Eastern European newspaper asking a Southern European consulting firm to change its formula! But now Pritt can say that after this major transformation, how his newspaper became the third largest Estonian title.

Blikk and Hungarian politics or the unusual story of the leading tabloid becoming the voice of reason
• Bela Papp, Managing Director, Ringier Publishing Hungary
Hungary's leading tabloid reached its top selling spot with news about stars, sports, murder and mayhem. In 2006 it became a key player on the political news front as well. Bela will answer to these questions : how did it do it, and what was the result?

Delovoy Peterburg: pioneering the modern business paper in Russia
• Oleg Tretiakov,  Director of Development, Bonnier Business Press, Russia
A major issue for the future of Russian media, currently largely controlled by big Russian oil companies, is how Western media groups will be able to enter the market. Oleg will show that Western and Russian media can work and thrive together.

Segodnya: how to transform a Soviet-style newspaper into a modern one
• Vitaly Tchirkov, CEO and Editor-in-chief, Segodnya, Ukraine
Compared to the former “Segodnya”, which used to be a circulation leader in Kiev, new “Segodnia” completely changed its design and content concept with the help of the consultant Innovation. Vitaly will explain how the daily became full-color, and divided itself into two editions, national and Kiev.

Session Chairman: Vladimir Sungorkin, Editor-in-Chief, Komsomolskaïa Pravda, Russia

20h00
Dinner at Luzhniki; Performance by the Moiseyev Dance Company.

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