UPM_News_2016

Austrians are print people

Austrians equate print with quality and diversity of opinion – and these are among the reasons why newspapers remain highly respected throughout the country. Thomas Kralinger , President of the Austrian Newspaper Association, shares his views on trust, competition and responsibility.

Text: Carola Malzner Photo: VÖZ

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rinted newspapers remain very popular in Austria, because lo- cals remain loyal to the tactile experience of holding their daily news- papers in their hands – and this natu- rally also goes for Thomas Kralinger , President of the Austrian Newspaper Association (Verband Österreichischer Zeitungen, VÖZ) . “I like to read in ‘print mode’ – and not just for professional reasons either. I like the feel of the material. And, let’s be honest, the layout and presentation of world affairs is clearer and more at- tractive in printed newspapers than in

the most confidence on the market,” af- firms Kralinger. As one of the manag- ing directors of the Austrian company Mediaprint AG, he is responsible for ti- tles including the long-standing domes- tic newspaper Der Kurier. It is an inescapable fact, however, that ongoing media changes are funda- mentally altering the underlying busi- ness principles of the mass media in- dustry. “Media managers must remain active participants in the competition for the public’s attention. This means identifying the benefits of all the avail- able channels,” states Kralinger, who sees the cross-fertilization of print and

states Kralinger: “We are operating in a competitive environment with the most powerful brands in the world vying to set the tone. That makes it even more important for newspaper and magazine content to be protected against com- mercial exploitation by global corpo- rations.” Free newspapers with high circu- lations are muscling in on the con- test for real content and fair compe- tition. “They do particularly well in areas of high population density. But purchased print media remains respon- sible for maintaining high levels of quality and diversity in the Austrian media landscape,” emphasizes Kralin- ger. “Our high subscription rates show that the public appreciates quality and diversity of opinion. The outlook for us is very positive.”

any other form!” Media in flux

online media as inevitable. Content and integrity

Austria remains a country of news­ paper readers, even if circulations have fallen off in the last ten years. “But print remains the media that inspires

“We must remain active participants in the competition for the public’s attention,” says Thomas Kralinger, President of the Austrian Newspaper Association (VÖZ).

The competition never sleeps and the market is global, which makes it cru- cial to maintain editorial integrity,

The millennials – a lost generation?

Text: Mari Hirvi, Silja Kudel Photo: Matti Immonen W hen was the last time you saw a 20–35 year-old hold- ing a newspaper instead of a mobile device while commut- ing? It hasn’t escaped anyone’s atten- tion that Generation Y spends less and less time engaging with printed news- papers. However, all is not lost: read on for some lesser-known facts about this misunderstood demographic cohort. 1: They want to know what’s going on. The millennials are often regarded as ignorant, but this is far from the case.

According to a study by the American Press Institute, 85% of them consider it at least somewhat important to keep up with the news, while 69% read the news daily – with almost half the con- tent being in print. Print newspapers are a trusted medium: according to a Finnish study, eight in ten millennials find newspapers reliable. 2: They’re interested in commentary. Beyond sharing news content on social media themselves, millennials want to read what their friends have to say

about current affairs. While it is im- possible for print to offer the kind of immediate response that is inherent to online media, newspapers – with ex- perienced journalists as contributors – have the ability to offer deeper insight or even a completely different narrative to a story being shared in social media. 3: They appreciate tangibility. When targeting millennials, the phys- ical dimension of newspapers should not be seen as a weakness, but rather as an advantage. In their eyes, tangible ob- jects like books and vinyl records have

nostalgia value. Could newspapers ex- ploit this trend as well and establish an emotional connection with the millen- nial audience? Research suggests that newspapers have potential to do this. In fact, a Finnish study has revealed that millennials feel as emotionally bonded to print newspapers as they do to big digital players Facebook and Goog- le. And while clicking through news articles online might be fast and easy, the deep reading experience offered by print media still remains unequalled.

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