On a trial basis, online news outlet MediaWatch published a printed edition of its news this week. The new format introduces a commitment to more in-depth journalism and longer articles.
MediaWatch's new printed magazine can also be read in a digital version.
They themselves admit: "What you're now holding in your hands is rather a case of 'the world turned upside down'," writes editor Louise Reseke in the editorial to the first edition of MediaWatch's printed edition, which hit the streets this week.
MediaWatch was started as an online media and since the very beginning, has only existed on the internet. Although nothing has changed in MediaWatch's DNA, the new, printed edition fulfils a need to combine images and text in a very different way.
"First and foremost, MediaWatch is an online news media, and it will continue to be so in the future. When we publish a printed magazine, we do so to offer our readers a different kind of experience – to present our high-quality journalism in a new way. The printed format gives us the opportunity to package the stories in a different way – not least visually. At the same time, we can reach out to those readers who perhaps aren't used to visiting us online," explains editor-in-chief Anders Heering from Watch Medier, publisher of MediaWatch.
As an online media, MediaWatch is today characterised by a large selection of daily news stories from the entire media industry. With the help of the printed magazine, more background articles and in-depth reportage is now being introduced, with the potential to dig deeper into stories.
"The printed format is able to do different things than that which can be achieved online. In general however, we are neither afraid to write long stories or of using many online sources. We believe in good journalism irrespective of media platform. The magazine format calls out for giving time and space to more background stories and the quality we would like to give to online coverage, where the current daily news dominates. Naturally, the articles from the magazine will also be used online," says Heering, adding that there are no other changes to the business model or editorial strategy planned.
"Many media houses are fighting to hold onto the diminishing income from their primary printed product – often to the detriment of their online media. MediaWatch, along with the other four Watch Medier publications, are all based online, financed by subscriptions and founded on internet premises. When we produce something in print, it's as a supplement to our online service, not the other way around. That's a huge difference."
What the printed future holds for MediaWatch has not yet been determined.
"In this first trial run, we're testing the format. We haven't yet decided whether this is something we will be continuing with, how often and in what way. Our other Watch Medier publications come out as a biannual magazine."
Read the magazine here
MediaWatch is an independent internet media outlet, which supplies current corporate news about companies and personalities in the media industry. MediaWatch is the sister site to MedWatch, FinansWatch, EnergiWatch and ShippingWatch, and is owned by the company Watch Medier – a subsidiary of JP/Politikens Hus.
