Social Media in the Middle East: The Story of 2014

Ever since the start of the Arab Spring in 2011, there has been considerable interest in the role that social media plays in the Middle East, and how this enabling technology can act as a tool for discourse and information sharing. Although the role of social media as an agent for cultural and political change in the region is probably overstated, there is no doubt that this remains a vibrant and fast moving environment. This report captures some of the key regional developments in this arena during 2014. It looks at major platforms and social media behaviours, pulling together insights from a wide variety of research and media. In doing this, it builds on previous annual round-ups for 2012 and 2013, as well as the quarterly market summaries produced by my old team at the Rassed research programme at Qatar's Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ictQATAR).

Building a Stronger Local Media Ecosystem: The Role of Media Policy

This paper plays out against a backdrop of continued closures and diminished local news reporting across much of the United States. It explores the role that media policy can and should play in supporting local journalism. In examining this topic, we investigate three fundamental questions: What is local media policy? What are the key existential issues and/or problems local media policy must wrestle with? What potential solutions to the local news crisis can media policy potentially help address? The core of our response to these questions is derived from a series of five public webinars hosted by the Tow Center. Through these events, we invited a range of industry and academic experts to share their perspectives on areas related to these major themes. Our conversations explored the scope of media policy, barriers to implementation, opportunities for policy to make a difference, and some of the unique characteristics that shape U.S. media policy and attitudes toward potential policy interventions. To this, we have added further context and updates on some of the latest policy developments, based on a literature review and our continued interest in this subject.Tow Center at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalis

eCommerce in Publishing: Trends and Strategies

39 pagesThe eCommerce bump witnessed over the last two years looks set to be a revenue trend that will only grow in importance for publishers. According to Group M, by 2024 retail-focused eCommerce will amount to $7 trillion in annual sales activity, making eCommerce a revenue stream that publishers ignore at their peril. Meanwhile, the COVID crisis has “accelerated” efforts by publishers to generate money through eCommerce, with 30% of commercial publishers surveyed indicating that this would be an “important” or “very important” revenue stream in 2022. eCommerce’s moment has come. A combination of shifting consumer behaviors, coupled with the urgency to diversify revenue streams, means that growing numbers of publishers are ready to cross the online shopping Rubicon. This new report from What's New in Publishing and sponsored by Sovrn offers best practices, case studies and key insights into how publishers can successfully leverage eCommerce, as well as partner with platforms, retailers and other service providers to offer online shopping experiences that consumers now demand.Sovrn School of Journalism and Communication, University of Orego

A importância dos dados para o jornalismo local

O analista digital, consultor, jornalista e pesquisador Damian Radcliffe é professor de Jornalismo na Universidade de Oregon, fellow do Tow Center para Jornalismo Digital na Universidade de Columbia, e Pesquisador Honorário na Escola de Jornalismo, Mídia e Cultura da Universidade de Cardiff (País de Gales). Suas pesquisas se concentram no uso de mídias sociais e tendências mais amplas na mídia local, na tecnologia, no negócio de mídia e na inovação jornalística. Neste artigo, ele defende que o jornalismo de dados pode gerar grande impacto em nível local, e embora esse tipo de comunicação seja menos dominante do que em nível nacional, existem diversos exemplos e oportunidades de boas práticas que devem ser observadas

Life at Small-Market Newspapers: Results from a Survey of Small Market Newsrooms

The observations in this paper are based on the results of an online survey conducted between Monday, November 14 and Sunday, December 4, 2016. Survey respondents identified a number of key challenges for the sector, including: Shrinking newsrooms: More than half (59 percent) of our survey participants told us that the number of staff in their newsroom had shrunk since 2014. Recruitment: Low pay, long hours, and limited opportunities for career progression can impede the attraction and retention of young journalists. A long-hours culture: Many respondents reported that they regularly work more than 50 hours a week. Job security: Just over half of respondents (51 percent) said they feel secure in their positions. A further 29 percent had a neutral view (neither positive nor negative) about their job security. Despite these considerations, we encountered a sense of optimism among much of our sample. This confidence is rooted in an understanding that small-market newspapers are often close to their communities—with journalists sharing similar goals and lives to their audience—and a recognition that much of their reporting is not replicated elsewhere. Nevertheless, respondents were also aware of emerging issues, such as establishing relevancy with the next generation of news consumers. Social media and emerging storytelling formats such as live video may help do this, and we found strong levels of interest in some of these spaces. Subsequently, we believe a more nuanced conversation about this sector in required. The newspaper industry, even within this smaller stratum of newspapers, is far from homogeneous. Our conversations with local journalists found a cohort eager to know more about the experiences of their peers. As a result, we welcome moves to increase coverage of the local media sector by leading trade publications. Richer coverage and research of this industry will help to inform and inspire local journalists, policymakers, and funders alike

World Press Trends Outlook 2022-2023

The latest World Press Trends report shows that business sentiment in the industry has taken a downturn, in a context where multiple challenges face news publishers around the world. Yet there are causes for optimism, as revenue diversification progresses and publishers double down on new revenue sources and editorial products. This year’s World Press Trends study makes for a sobering read after the optimism of our previous report. The mood in the industry has changed, and publishers find themselves in a more unpredictable business environment due to a number of challenges, including high levels of inflation, rising paper and print costs, as well as ongoing changes to advertising markets. The change in business sentiment is one of the main findings of the new World Press Trends Outlook report. As in the previous years, the analysis is based on an online survey distributed to industry leaders. 167 news executives from 62 countries took part in the survey in Fall 2022 – a big thank you to them for sharing their insights, results and strategies. WAN-IFRA also works with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Zenith for key performance indicators (global revenues and circulation). For audience insights, we work with analytics specialist Chartbeat. World Press Trends is supported by Protecmedia, the content management provider. Damian Radcliffe, longtime industry analyst, journalist and academic, authored most of the report, offering his analysis and context to the survey and emerging trends. Dr. Francois Nel, also a longtime analyst, well-known academic within our industry and longtime contributor to WPT, provided his analysis, contribution and data analysis of all our collected data. WAN-IFRA’s Andrew Heslop shared his analysis on our Press Freedom data, and WAN-IFRA’s Teemu Henriksson helped to coordinate the project along with Dean Roper.World Press Trends is supported by Protecmedia, the content management provider

World Press Trends Outlook 2021-2022

This edition of WAN-IFRA’s annual flagship research and report reveals an industry challenged but optimistic about its business. It examines the results of publishers’ business in 2021, their forecasts for 2022 and beyond, and the trends and issues shaping the industry. Our research shows news publishers feel confident about tackling the ongoing coronavirus crisis, and that some of their early pandemic-era pivots are beginning to pay dividends. However, publishers still need to navigate considerable transformation and turmoil, even if there are signs of a resurgence in global advertising markets and a maturing of many reader revenue strategies. The invasion of Ukraine has further undermined companies’ plans, as how that conflict will unfold can have long-lasting effects on industries across the board, in addition to the humanitarian crisis it is causing. As in the previous years, the World Press Trends Outlook analysis is based on an online survey distributed to industry leaders. 162 news executives from 58 countries took part in the survey in Fall 2021 – a big thank you to them for sharing their insights, results and strategies. In addition, WAN-IFRA works with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and ZenithOptimedia for key performance indicators (revenue, circulation and ad spend). For additional audience insights, we work with analytics specialist Chartbeat.World Press Trends is supported by Protecmedia, the content management provider

Redefining News: A Manifesto for Community-Centered Journalism

33 pagesThis forward-thinking report makes the case for embracing a more inclusive, community-focused model of journalism, one that prioritizes listening to and collaborating with communities to produce relevant, equitable and impactful news and storytelling. The report features an actionable framework to put the principles of Community-Centered Journalism into practice and explains how this approach differs from traditional models of journalism, with potential benefits including rebuilding trust, tackling inequities, and fostering civic engagement

Social Media in the Middle East 2022: A Year in Review

93 pagesWelcome to the latest annual study on Middle East Social Media Trends. This report, the eleventh in a series dating back to 2012, provides an in-depth analysis of the current state of social media in the Middle East. As the most comprehensive and up-to-date study of its kind, it is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the region's digital landscape. In this report, we examine the most popular social media platforms and the ways in which people are using them. We explore the impact of social media on politics, business and culture in the region. Our findings will be of interest to anyone interested in how social media shapes the way we connect with one another, as well as the ways in which we consume and find information. These trends are relevant to marketers, journalists, brands and businesses, as well as government agencies and public bodies. Over the past decade, the Middle East has seen a significant increase in social media adoption. Today, it boasts some of the highest penetration rates of social media in the world, making it a key market for platforms and businesses looking to engage with Arab audiences. From staying in touch with friends and family to consuming news and entertainment, social media - as it is around the world - is an integral part of daily life in the region. Social media is also playing an increasingly important role in politics, with many politicians and activists using the platforms to connect with the public and mobilize support for their policies.University of Oregon-UNESCO Crossings Institute, University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC

World Press Trends Outlook 2023-2024

58 pagesAfter the sobering read seen in our 2022-23 report, this year’s World Press Trends study strikes a more cautiously optimistic note, with more than half of the respondents conveying a positive outlook about their companies’ business prospects for the foreseeable future. This is despite publishers grappling with challenges on various fronts, including elevated inflation and interest rates, surging paper and printing expenses, continual shifts within advertising markets and audience behaviours, as well as wider geopolitical uncertainty reflected in conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere. Meanwhile, wider strategic challenges such as the surge of Generative AI, changing relationships with platforms and continued challenges to press freedom and freedom of expression, also continue to vex many journalists and publishers. In response, news publishers are inevitably looking closely at their revenue strategy, investment priorities, areas of focus, cost management, and their stance on areas such as AI and other technologies. We delve into these themes extensively within this report. This report is primarily based on the findings of an online survey distributed to WAN-IFRA members and other senior media executives between July and September 2023, and was available in four languages (English, French, Spanish and German). Survey participants were typically members of the senior team at a newspaper or a newspaper group. Based on the information provided by our respondents, a third (66%) are C-Suite (CEOs, Publishers, Managing Directors). A further third is either a Commercial Director/Heads of Strategy or Executive Editor. We received 175 complete responses from 60 nations around the world. Using classifications developed by the World Bank, 58% of respondents come from developed economies and 42% from developing economies. Our sample also features a wide range of different countries with respondents coming from countries as diverse as Argentina, Canada, Russia, and Indonesia. They also came from some of the world’s largest media markets, including Germany, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Through the data and insights that they provided, we are able to comprehend the attitudes of today’s industry leaders in a variety of business and editorial roles. Their observations, regarding the sector’s present and future, can be seen throughout this report. As ever, we want to express our appreciation to everyone who participated in this annual survey. This report would not be possible without their contributions.This report would not be possible without the support of our partner, Stibo DX