Play it again: 13th Forum on paywalls

If you missed 13th Journalism Leaders Forum discussion, Paywalls: build them, break them - or look beyond them, you can view an unedited recording of the discussion here.

The international panellists were:

• Robert Andrews, UK Editor of paidContent.com, for the 13th Journalism Leaders Forum in Preston.
• Peter Bale is the Executive Producer of Microsoft UK, responsible for content on platforms including MSN UK – the largest commercial portal in the UK. He joined Microsoft from News Corporation where he was online editorial director of The Times and The Sunday Times.
• Frédéric Filloux, editor for the international division of the Norwegian media giant Schibsted ASA and co-author of the Monday Note .
• Martha Stone, director of the Shaping the Future of the Newspaper project of the World Association of Newspapers-IFRA
• Gordon Crovitz, the former Wall Street Journal publisher behind the paid-content startup, JournalismOnline

François Nel, director of the Journalism Leaders Programme at UCLan, was in the chair.

Diary note: the next meeting of the Digital Editors' Network and the 14th Journalism Leaders Forum is scheduled for the autumn 2010.

For updates: Follow us on Twitter @jleaders / @francoisnel

13th Forum: Norwegian media giant Schipsted editor Frédéric Filloux joins international paywall panel on 29th October

" 'Free', as a business model, is a figment of the imagination.

"In itself, 'Free' is not a business model, it is only a component of a broader revenue system," says Frédéric Filloux, editor for the international division of the Norwegian media giant Schibsted ASA and co-author of the Monday Note .

"Unlike Chris Anderson, author of the book 'Free' ($18.00) — a bestseller not a bestfreebie — I happened to actually practice the free 'model'," continues Filloux, a former managing editor of Liberation who was also a founder of one of the most successful free quality daily newspapers in the world. 20 minutes is now the most read newspaper in France with 2.7m readers in eight major cities.

On 29th October, Filloux will join the discussion the 13th Journalism Leaders Forum discussion, Paywalls: build them, break them - or look beyond them.

Also on the international panel are:

• Gordon Crovitz, the former Wall Street Journal publisher behind the paid-content startup, JournalismOnline
• Peter Bale is the Executive Producer of Microsoft UK, responsible for content on platforms including MSN UK – the largest commercial portal in the UK. He joined Microsoft from News Corporation where he was online editorial director of The Times and The Sunday Times. He was a founder of FTMarketWatch.com and was a Reuters correspondent and editor for most of his career.
• Martha Stone, director of the Shaping the Future of the Newspaper project of the World Association of Newspapers-IFRA
• Robert Andrews, UK Editor of paidContent.com, for the 13th Journalism Leaders Forum in Preston.
• François Nel, director of the Journalism Leaders Programme at UCLan, will be in the chair.

To attend the open Forum at 6pm in Greenbank Lecture Theatre - as well as the reception from 5pm - please register HERE soonest. There is no charge, but seating is limited.



If you can't be there in person, you can also participate online. The Forum will be Webcast live. More details here. [Log in as a guest].

Gordon Crovitz, ex-WSJ publisher and co-founder of start-up Journalism Online, joins paywall panel on 29th October

Arguably, the Holy Grail for newspapers has been how to get consumers to pay a reasonable price for online content. An increasing number of publishers in the US and internationally think that Gordon Grovitz and his partners at the technology start-up Journalism Online may just have found it.

In August, four months after setting up business, the company announced that more than 500 newspapers, magazines and online-based news sites in the United States and around the world had signed "Letters of Intent" with them. “Just one month later, we have passed 1,000, reaching more than 100 million online users, and the pace is accelerating," said Crovitz in a company statement.

On 29th October, Crovitz, who had walked out of this jobs as Publisher of The Wall Street Journal, Executive Vice-President of Dow Jones & Company, and president of the Company’s Consumer Media Group, when News Corp took over, will discuss his new project in greater detail when he contributes to a panel discussion about online paywalls at the 13th Journalism Leaders Forum in Preston.

Other confirmed panellists are:

• Frédéric Filloux, editor for the international division of the Norwegian media giant Schibsted ASA and co-author of the Monday Note .


• Martha Stone, director of the World Association of Newspapers-IFRA’s Shaping the Future of the Newspaper project


• Robert Andrews, UK Editor of paidContent.com.

François Nel , director of the Journalism Leaders Programme at UCLan, will be in the chair discussion on, 'Paywalls: build them, break them - or look beyond them"

To attend the open Forum at 6pm in Greenbank Lecture Theatre - as well as the reception from 5pm - please register soonest. There is no charge, but seating is limited.



If you can't be there in person, you can also participate online. The Forum will be Webcast live. More details here.

13th Forum: Paywalls - build them, break them or look beyond them?

The newspaper business has never been simple, but the business model has typically been straightforward: compile news and information for which readers pay in time and money, and then also sell their attention on to advertisers looking to connect with customers.

It's not surprising then that when print publications migrated online, they brought their traditions with them. Those on the editorial side of the business, soon found out it wasn't as simple as it seemed. Those on the commercial side of the business are finding that out, too.

With advertising revenues collapsing, Rupert Murdoch hopes readers will pay to read his websites. Research commissioned by the American Press Institute showed that 58% of publishers in the US and Canada are considering following suit. And technology giants Google, Yahoo and IBM , as well as start-ups like JournalismOnline, are stepping up to help them do so.

It's not been difficult to find detractors. Amongst them are leading UK news executives and commetators who are adament that the free-to-pay transition won't work. And a recent paidContent UK / Harris Interactive study shows that UK readers would resist the move, too.

Other have suggested alternative non-commercial and commercial business models.

So, what is the way forward on paywalls? Do we build them, break them - or look beyond them?

Leading a discussion on that question at the 13th Jouranlism Leaders Forum on 29th October will be Martha Stone, director of the World Association of Newspapers-IFRA's Shaping the Future of the Newspapers project, and Robert Andrews, the UK Editor of paidContent.

François Nel, director of the Journalism Leaders Programme at UCLan, will be in the chair.

To attend the open Forum at 6pm in Greenbank Lecture Theatre - as well as the reception from 5pm - please register soonest. There is no charge, but seating is limited.

If you can't be there in person, there are other ways to join the discussion. You can post your questions and comments on this site, or you can participate in the live Webcast by logging in here as a "guest". Online participants will be able to post questions to panelists and each each other in a text chat room.

Also in Preston earlier on the day of the Forum is autumn meeting of the Digital Editors Network, with speakers from Microsoft, UCLan, The Guardian and the Press Association (This event is now Fully Booked).

For more information about these and other activities of the UCLAN's Journalism Leaders Programme, which partners with media companies to develop leadership talent and innovative digital business solutions, contact François Nel by email or Skype (francoisnel).

12th Forum: Replay lively debate on the future of journalism

It was always going to be lively.

And the debate on the issues facing the future of journalism, in general, and the shape of the industry in the North West, in particular, with BBC factual radio editor in Manchester Ian Bent, ITV Granada news chief Richard Frediani, The Times' development editor Joanna Geary and the Media City UK developers spokesman Paul Newman, was certainly that - and a stark reminder that an industry consensus about whether news is a lecture or conversation is still a long way off.

I you missed the 12th Journalism Leaders Forum chaired by Mike Ward, head of the School of Journalism, Media and Communication at UCLan, you can watch an unedited recording of the webcast here. You'll also find the Twitter stream at #JLP.

For more information or an invitation future events (which are free and open to the public), email Francois Nel, director of the Journalism Leaders Programme.

12th Forum: ITV news chief, Times web guru & Media City:UK exec join discussion on the future of journalism

If you needed further evidence that it's not all grim up North, consider this:

In 2011, Media City:UK - now shooting up in Salford Quays on the edge of Manchester - will be the new home to five BBC London-based departments, including two TV channels and two radio stations representing £225m of BBC production spend and £275m of BBC commissioning spend. And that's only the start of it. The 200-acre development is expected to be the cornerstone of up to 15,000 jobs in TV, film and the creative industries.

What will this mean for the future of journalism in the region and further afield?

Find out from Paul Newman, spokesperson for the developer Peel Media, who is one of the panellists on the next Journalism Leaders Forum on May 12th.

Other participants include Ian Bent, the BBC factual radio editor in Manchester, Richard Frediani, head of news at ITV, and Joanna Geary, web development editor at The Times. Note: Culture secretary Andy Burnham had intended to participate, but has cancelled citing a diary conflict. [He offered to participate in a future Forum; we intend to invite him, again]

Mike Ward, head of the School of Journalism, Media and Communication at UCLan. will chair the all-alumni panel discussion that follows a reception to launch an evolving exhibition and book project, Journalism at UCLan: past, present & future, which will mark the 50th anniversary of England's oldest journalism programme.

To attend the open Forum at 6pm in Greenbank Lecture Theatre - as well as the reception from 5pm - please RSVP to Debbie Williams by email or call +(0)1772 894759. There is no charge.

If you can't be there in person, there are other ways to join the discussion.

You can post your questions and comments on this site, or you can participate in the live Webcast by logging in here as a "guest". Online participants will be able to post questions to panelists and each each other in a text chat room.

The Forum is scheduled as part of the Journalism Leaders Programme's Spring seminar, Innovation and the Market: Understanding Users, Delivering Value, Growing Revenue, which runs from 11-15th May in Preston, Liverpool and Manchester.

Also in Preston earlier on the day of the Forum is the Spring meeting of the Digital Editors Network, which includes presentations by Robin Goad of Hitwise, Nick Turner of Cumbria Newspapers and Patrick Altoft of Branded3.

For more information about these and other activities of the UCLAN's Journalism Leaders Programme, which partners with media companies to develop leadership talent and strategic solutions for the Networked Age, François Nel, by email or Skype (francoisnel).

12th Forum: Andy Burnham on the past, present & future of journalism

[Update: Please note that Andy Burnham has had to cancel his participation in this Forum because of a scheduling conflict and has indictated that he hopes to participate in a future Forum. We'll certainly be inviting him again soon. 05/05/09]

Culture secretary Andy Burnham is all too aware that Government has a role to play in influencing the dramatic changes in the UK media landscape. Last week, he hosted a summit with media players to consider proposals put to him key industry bodies and companies.

On May 12th, he'll [a panel of media experts will] discuss the issues with a wider audience at the 12th Journalism Leaders Forum in Preston.

The panel discussion, part of the Spring line-up for the Journalism Leaders Programme, will be chaired by Mike Ward, head of the School of Journalism, Media and Communication at UCLan. Other participants will include Richard Frediani, head of news at ITV, and other prominent alumni from the England's oldest journalism programme.
Also that evening is a reception to launch an evolving exhibition and book project, Journalism at UCLan: past, present & future, which will mark the 50th anniversay of England's oldest journalism programme.

To attend the Forum at 6pm in Greenbank Lecture Theatre - as well as the reception from 5pm - please RSVP to Debbie Williams by email or call +(0)1772 894759

If you can't be there in person, there are other ways to join the discussion.

You can post your questions and comments on this site, or you can participate in the live Webcast by logging in here as a "guest". Online participants will be able to post questions to panelists and each each other in a text chat room.

The Forum is scheduled as part of the Journalism Leaders Programme's Spring seminar, Innovation and the Market: Understanding Users, Delivering Value, Growing Revenue, which runs from 11-15th May in Preston, Liverpool and Manchester.

Also in Preston earlier on the day of the Forum is the Spring meeting of the Digital Editors Network.

For more information about these and other activities of the UCLAN's Journalism Leaders Programme, which partners with media companies to develop leadership talent and strategic solutions for the Networked Age, François Nel, by email or Skype (francoisnel).

12th Forum to look at the future of journalism throught the rearview mirror

With the way ahead for the media industry far from clear, it might be worth reflecting on plain-speaking business wizard Warren Buffet's observation that "in the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield."

With that in mind, the 12th Journalism Leaders Forum on May 12th will explore the theme: Journalism: past, present &, future.

Mike Ward, the head of the School of Journalism, Media and Communications at UCLan will chair a panel of prominent UCLan alumni, including Richard Frediani, head of news at ITV Granada.

The event will also include a reception to launch an evolving exhibition and book project, Journalism at UCLan: past, present & future, to mark the 50th anniversay of England's oldest journalism programme.

To attend the Forum at 6pm in Greenbank Lecture Theatre - as well as the reception from 5pm - please RSVP to Debbie Williams by email or call +(0)1772 894759

If you can't be there in person, there are other ways to join the discussion.

You can post your questions and comments on this site, or you can participate in the live Webcast by logging in here as a "guest". Online participants will be able to post questions to panelists and each each other in a text chat room.

The Forum is scheduled as part of the Journalism Leaders Programme's Spring seminar, Innovation and the Market: Understanding Users, Delivering Value, Growing Revenue, which runs from 11-15th May in Preston, Liverpool and Manchester.

Also in Preston earlier on the day of the Forum is the Spring meeting of the Digital Editors Network.

For more information about these and other activities of the UCLAN's Journalism Leaders Programme, which partners with media companies to develop leadership talent and strategic solutions for the Networked Age, François Nel, by email or Skype (francoisnel).

11th Forum: Reply, Review, Respond

You'll find an unedited recording of the 11th Forum here.

On a related note: Today the BBC's Business Editor Robert Peston, who could only join the Forum via phone link from London, faced questions from MPs on the Treasury Select Committee over the media's role in the British banking crisis.

Diary note: the 12th Forum and Digital Editors Network is slated for 12th May 2009 in Preston to coincide with the Spring seminar of the Journalism Leaders Programme.

Peston joins 11th Forum panel to review 'The Bottom Line' of business journalism

Update 23/01/2009: Liverpool Daily Post's dynamic deputy editor Alison Gow will also join the panel.

The stakes have never been higher.

Choices made this year will undoubtably shape the world's economy "perhaps for generations," says the academic and columnist Martin Wolf.

Arguably, that's true for all those who control all the levers of power. That means business and government leaders, certainly. It also means citizens whose collective choices are the source of that power.

What does it mean for the Fourth Estate, itself severely battered by the economic storm?

To help further unpack the issues - and to consider the implications - BBC Business Editor Robert Peston (left), FT.com Interactive Editor Kate Mackenzie, Crain's Manchester Business Publisher Arthur Porter and TheBusinessDesk.com Northwest Editor Chris Barry will join the 11th Journalism Leaders Forum panel at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston on the 3rd of February.

The Guardian's Blogs Editor Kevin Anderson will chair the discussion, "The Bottom Line: Is the business of journalism affecting the journalism of business?"

To attend this free programme at 6pm in Greenbank Lecture Theatre - as well as the networking reception from 5pm - please RSVP to leaders[at]ukjournalism[do]ac[dot]uk.

If you can't be there in person, there are other ways to join the discussion. You can post your questions and comments on this site, or you can participate in the live Webcast by logging in here as a "guest". Online participants will be able to post questions to panelists and each each other in a text chat room.

The Forum is scheduled as part of the Journalism Leaders Programme's Winter seminar, "Multimedia Content: making it, managing it, monetising it," which runs from February 2nd to 6th. Also in Preston earlier the same day is the Winter meeting of the Digital Editors Network.

For more information about these and other activities of the UCLAN's Journalism Leaders Programme, which partners with media companies to develop leadership talent and strategic solutions for the Networked Age, François Nel, by email (FPNel@uclan . ac . uk) or Skype (francoisnel).