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While newspapers scramble to figure out how to turn a profit in a quickly evolving industry, a small group of Czech publications might just hold the solution:
Hyperlocal news.
A year after the successful launch of a hyperlocal journalism project in the Czech Republic, Roman Gallo, director of media strategies for Amsterdam-based investment firm, PPF Group, told more than 200 delegates at the annual Canadian Newspaper Association conference Thursday how his company is bucking the trend.
Last June, PPF launched four pilot publications across diverse districts of the country. The ventures, called Nase Adresa or “our address” have three components: weekly newspapers distributed every Monday, interactive websites and news cafes.
While web and print platforms are typical fodder for Ink Beyond delegates, the idea of news cafes may be a bit less familiar.
The idea is to create a newsroom environment where as little separation as possible exists between those reporting the news and those consuming it. To break down that wall his company developed news cafes – newsrooms containing public cafes, where community members are encouraged to drop in, share their ideas and even contribute to the publication.
“We use these cafes as community centres,” he said. “There’s a much better understanding of community life for our editorial staff because there are no barriers.”
The cafes don’t just quench caffeine cravings, either. Each newsroom frequently holds community events like concerts or dance lessons, often attracting hundreds of people from the area. CTD…