Future digital as print mastheads go online

NEWS Corp Australia is making significant changes to its media titles resulting in many mastheads – including the Gold Coast Sun and Tweed Daily News – going digital only.

The Gold Coast Bulletin along with other major regional titles – The Hobart Mercury, NT News, Cairns Post, Townsville Bulletin, Toowoomba Chronicle and Geelong Advertiser – will continue to publish in print and digitally.

News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller said over recent months News Corp had undertaken a comprehensive review of its regional and community newspapers.

This review considered the ongoing consumer shift to reading and subscribing to news online, and the acceleration of businesses using digital advertising.

“Consequently, to meet these changing trends, we are reshaping News Corp Australia to focus on where consumers and businesses are moving and to strengthen our position as Australia’s leading digital news media company.

“More than 640,000 Australians, our latest figures show, are currently subscribing to News Corp’s digital news content and subscriptions are growing at an annual rate of 24 per cent.

“Much of this growth is from local news, where subscribers have more than doubled in the past year.

“I’m confident that these numbers will accelerate through dedicated and constant digital publishing and continuing to serve the local communities whose trust and community commitment the mastheads have developed over decades.

“Over the past 19 months News has launched 16 new digital-only local mastheads. In total we will now publish 92 digital-only regional and community mastheads, each offering readers rolling coverage, electronic alerts and newsletters, richer audio and video content and deeper local sport coverage and community debate.

Mr Miller said News Corp remained committed to Australia communities.

The changes to News Corp’s publishing portfolio will mean some job roles will change and lead to job losses. Of those impacted by the changes, Mr Miller said: “They have provided News with invaluable years of service. Their passionate commitment to the communities in which they live and work and their role in ensuring these have been informed and served by trusted local media has been substantial,” he said.