UK Newspaper Market Is The Most Competitive In The World

The UK newspaper market is more competitive than any in the world and has become even more competitive over the past few years, according to Carolyn McCall, chief executive of Guardian Media Group.

Speaking at the WAN’s World Digital Publishing Conference in London, McCall told over 200 delegates from across the world that she believes the problem is that newspapers are “not always sure where the competition will come from next.”

“Newspapers have got legs for many years to come, but no newspaper company can depend on its core business for the future, and no CEO could predict what their business will be like in ten years’ time, maybe not even in five years right now,” she said.

She highlighted audio/video, community and the lack of geographical boundaries as the three key changes that online has brought. On the last subject, McCall pointed to the Guardian‘s online usage (10.1 million unique users in Europe, 7.2 million in the USA, 1.2 million in Asia and 0.8 million in Australasia/South America).

However, in response to a question from the floor, she accepted that the Guardian may be increasing its influence and reach globally but it was not yet monetising this extended (online) readership.

“We are recruiting an editorial team in the US currently, and aiming to accelerate the revenue opportunities out there, new revenues will come via the online brand, we are unlikely to buy newspapers globally,” she admitted.

McCall pointed to five key challenges for digital transformation. A clear vision that takes your people with you, communicated time and again if needs be; stay close to users/readers; innovate to learn, eg with user-generated content, don’t edit the content, mediate it; excel at software development, these people are as important now as your journalists, and drive digital revenue growth – focus on this now before digital revenue slows down, and cut the costs that come with it later.

“For those who succeed there is a very profitable future,” she concluded.

WAN: www.wan-press.org