How local newsrooms are adapting to a digital environment

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Local newsrooms in Europe are trying to appeal to increasing digital demands as audiences today obtain their news from the internet more so than newsprint. Newspapers in the U.K., Germany and France are setting examples for smaller papers to adapt to the digital world by implementing new programs such as paywalls, paid subscriptions and member clubs. Researchers with the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism created a report that includes new business model approaches, how to create a digital-first culture in the newsroom and other tools that will help transform newspapers into a digital force to be reckoned with.

While local news transitions to digitized news has had an effortful start with newspapers all over the world, the business model that has been successful in the past needs some major tweaks. Advertising for a digital media platform is more difficult, which means generating revenue has been a roadblock for papers that want to make the transition. Papers are competing with giant tech companies such as Facebook and Google for advertising, yet they must maintain collaborative relationships with them in order to expand their reach.

Most importantly, newspapers have had to find a new way to engage with readers that differs from the old way they engaged with consumers through newsprint. The use of Facebook and analytics help to accomplish this as well as many other innovative resources that are included in the full report.

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