Local information is becoming more and more important for newspaper readers since despite, or indeed because of the constant stream of information from around the globe, the readers’ own local environments are increasingly becoming “terrae incognitae”. The European Newspaper Congress is this year focusing on the topic of local journalism.
Special topic lectures
The master class of local information – “Smålandsposten” is a local newspaper that doesn’t examine global political issues but rather explores what’s going on in the local community.
Rediscovering local reporting – how publishers and editors can economically and journalistically utilise hitherto unrealised and unrecognised potential to the full.
Hyperlocal news as the key to success – new approaches in local journalism.
Local journalism between tradition and innovation.
European Local Newspaper of the Year: „Smålandsposten“, Schweden
Smålandsposten” is a local paper which doesn’t get absorbed into international political issues, but ferrets out the events in the area: concerts, ice hockey matches, accidents, the economy in the region. Editor-in-Chief Magnus Karlsson ascribes the newspaper’s success to technical changes. “Today, you can lay out a page in 45 minutes”, he says. His colleagues then use the time saved for journalistic details.
The result is impressive: most of the reports have fact boxes, lists, infographics, and naturally the name, email and phone extension of the authors.
“Smålandsposten” is local journalism at its best. A masterpiece of local journalism is created from the intuitive reading guides with page titles and stapled sections which can be pulled out like separate magazines, or from the use of predominantly locality-focused images.
“Smålandsposten” has a circulation of 38,600 and appears in Southern Sweden.
The newspaper is published in tabloid format, and employs 35 editors, 6 photographers and 18 layout artists.
Click one of the images to see the slideshow.
Prof. Joachim Blum, WAN-IFRA Associate Consultant
How publishing and editorial can economically and journalistically exploit previously unutilised and unrecognised potential.
If local and regional newspapers want to keep their reader and advertising markets from continuing to shrink, they need to strike out into a new dimension. They must develop new journalistic material for readers and non-readers in order to continue to achieve a relevant range for the advertising client. And they must economically redevelop the local market to generate additional revenue in addition to their traditional business.
European National Newspaper of the Year: „i informação“, Portugal
The editors of “i informação” are completely dedicated to the power of new ideas. Alternative journalistic styles, new sections and a modern, border-free layout that is oriented to the Internet.
“We want to throw away everything that does not work in traditional newspapers, and build a new newspaper,” says Art Director Nick Mrozowski. Daily newspapers are typically divided into departments. The Portuguese have a different system: first they bring out a crisp news roundup called “radar”. This is where the top reports of the day touch down, told in brief for quick reading.
Then the second major section takes off, called “Zoom”. The texts are longer and the articles provide more context. Here’s where you find analysis, reportage and essays. Quality journalism? Yes, but now with more pep.
In “i” you won’t see any of the usual press conference photos of people sitting on a panel. Instead, to tell the story of scenes like these differently, the paper sometimes also sends graphic illustrators to major events. They meant to capture the atmosphere and represent it in their unique way.
The homepage is also exciting, with its contemporary look and social media services like Facebook and Twitter.
“i informação” has a circulation of 30,000 and is printed in half Rhenish newspaper format (350 x 510-530 cm). The newspaper has 41 editors, 2 photographers, 4 freelance photo agencies and 5 layout artists.
Click one of the images to see the slideshow.
European Regional Newspaper of the Year: „Stuttgarter Zeitung“, Deutschland
The “Stuttgarter Zeitung” is the antithesis of those newspapers which have recently introduced larger photos and more white space and now have less room for their articles. The Stuttgarters have kept their long texts, but are now using a new, larger font. This way they meet, on the one hand, the needs of an aging readership which expects a more easily readable typography. And on the other hand, this conveys the serious reputation of the newspaper. “You need to be careful with images because they can muddle the message or be seen as arbitrary” says Art Director Dirk Steininger.
He has also found different ways of making the worthwhile investment into reading pleasure: the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” impresses with its excellent typography and persuades you with first-class title pages, its way with sidebars and infographics plus the excellent images. “People simply want to sit back and just read” was the judgement of the European Newspaper Award jury on this point.
The Stuttgarter Zeitung has a circulation of nearly 150,000. It employs 135 editors, 2 full-time staff, 4 freelance photographers and 5 layout artists.
Click one of the images to see the slideshow.
If you missed parts of last year’s convention or want to further a special topic of the congress, we’d like to advert to two offers concerning the European Newspaper Congress:
The almanac to the 10th European Newspaper Award offers an overview about trends in newspaper design and concept. The DVD is at a price of Euro 35 and can be ordered via http://www.editorial-design.com/book.html. Past issues can allso be ordered via this link.
The “Carpe Diem” society did an audio-documentation of the convention for first time this year. Presentations can be reheared via CD. Selected presentations or the complete documentation can be ordered as a CD-Box online via http://www.carpediem.1a-shops.eu.
