RIND AugustSurvey 2020 | Volume 41 | Issue 06 | Rs 50 www.pressinstitute.in A Journal of the Press Institute of India - Research Institute for Newspaper Development AN APP MAKES REMOTE MAINTENANCE FAR EASIER Visual PressSupport is an app-based live video streaming service that Koenig & Bauer now offers for sheetfed presses and other business units. In addition to audio transmission, it enables live videos to be transmitted directly from a mobile device to the hotline technician during remote maintenance. The success rate of classic remote maintenance methods currently used is 80 per cent. It is expected to grow further with Visual PressSupport, a cutting-edge tool that makes communication much easier. The hotline technician sees what the press operator or service technician sees on the press. He can be shown processes and procedures live via video. Also, the technician on site and the hotline technician can apply markings to the still images generated live. These markers help to carry out function checks or settings on the correct part or to record the current status separately close-up. In this way, it can help to limit malfunctions or be used to transfer operating and setting aids. In addition, the operator or technician at the press can share images from the album on their mobile device with the hotline. These can show certain press behaviour that only occurs sporadically and therefore cannot be picked up on live. Data security is guaranteed at the same time as the hotline technician can only see the media that has been shared and no other content. 1 FROM THE EDITOR Technology’s relentless advance never ceases to amaze he discovery of the printing technique happened in India a few years ago. AMP helps to speed up the rate Tmore than 2200 years ago – in China – when wood- at which articles load on mobile devices. Then there are block printing was used to leave impressions on cloth. The initiatives such as Innovation Challenge, Backlight (a jour- moveable type of printing (using metal type) is said to have nalistic tool) and Data Studio which are explained in Eliza- originated again in China, almost 1000 years ago. Around beth Shilpa’s article in this issue. 1450, Johannes Gutenburg introduced the first moveable type printing system in Europe and the printing press ********************* arrived – a landmark discovery. From the rotary press to Sherry Ricchiardi, a journalist and media development spe- the letterpress and offset press on to offset and gravure, cialist in her piece for Datajournalism.com titled ‘Captur- printing brought with it access to knowledge and changed ing racial justice protests with data’ mentions data being the nature of reading. But even twenty years ago, not many among the key building blocks for stories that capture the could have bargained for the kind of digital surge we see audience’s attention. Ricchiardi refers to how videos, maps today and the resultant change in the reading habit. and graphics were used to verify police violence against Read Teemu Henriksson’s article about how news pub- protesters, expose patterns of racism in American com- lishers are increasingly realising the power of personalisa- munities, and reconstruct the scene where George Floyd tion. In the latest version of its iPhone app, The New York cried “I can’t breathe” while a White police officer knelt Times has added a prominent new section, For You, which on his neck. Some of the projects have become prototypes features articles based on the user’s interests, he says. The for multi-dimensional storytelling. “Using forensic meth- Times of London and the Sunday Times are using an algo- ods of investigation, mapping tools and visualisation, jour- rithm to serve up content through personalised newslet- nalists have shed light on what may be the largest social ters, which is helping them reduce subscriber churn. More movement in American history. In some newsrooms, jour- and more publishers are experimenting with personalisa- nalists themselves are gaining the skills to do open-source tion and they are quickly learning that there is no one size investigative reporting, using visual forensic methods to that fits all. What has to be pursued with zeal is content tell the story. It clearly makes a case for visual forensic analysis and user profiling; that’s the only way content methods and other cutting-edge technology to be part of personalisation is possible. Henriksson elaborates on the the journalists’ toolkit.” Indeed, as she says, mobile phones Content Personalisation Network Project that chooses to and technology now “gives voice to the voiceless on social be as open as possible about the algorithm’s functional- issues”. ities. The project is looking for media companies to join the initiative and benefit from the CPN software for free. ********************* The Hindu Group in India has built into its databases a In a first in the world, Australia will force US tech giants machine-learning algorithm that analyses reading patterns Facebook and Google to pay Australian media outlets for of millions of users to identify the stories that resonate news content in a landmark move to protect independent with various cohorts and creates articles for subscribers journalism. According to a Reuters report, Australia will to widen their reading, Henriksson points out. Seems like become the first country to require Facebook and Google readers have never mattered so much before. to pay for news content provided by media companies Google of course has been leading the path towards new under a royalty-style system that will become law this year. initiatives focused on the reader. The Google News Initia- Might is right is supposed to be the universal principle, but tive is one such. Close to 24 per cent of the company’s in today’s media world, the old adage is facing a challenge. investments in this sphere in the Asia-Pacific Region is in India. Publishers are aware that most consumers now Sashi Nair seek news on their mobile phones. Google has been active [email protected] in the area, launching Accelerated Mobile Pages or AMP August 2020 RIND Survey 3 RIND Survey August 2020 | Volume 41 | Issue 06 CPN: A new approach to personalising news 5 Teemu Henriksson How The Hindu’s paywall is now paying off 8 Neha Gupta Google uses tools, data to help publishers understand audiences 11 Elizabeth Shilpa Adding thousands of digital subscribers during COVID-19 15 Brian Veseling Industry Updates 18 General News 38 Cover page image: Courtesy, Koenig & Bauer C o n t e s 4 RIND Survey August 2020 BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH WAN-IFRA CPN: A new approach to personalising news A group of broadcasters, researchers and technology providers is building a state-of-the-art news personalisation platform. After a year and a half of research and development, the Content Personalisation Network (CPN) project is looking for news publishers to test its recommender. Teemu Henriksson has the story ews publishers are increasingly realising the This is where the Content Personalisation Network power of personalisation. For instance, in (CPN) project comes in. Funded by the European Nthe latest version of its iPhone app, The Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Pro- New York Times added a prominent new section, For gramme, CPN teams up professionals from various You, which features articles based on the user’s inter- industries. Through its Global Alliance for Media ests. Meanwhile, The Times of London and the Sun- Innovation (GAMI) network, WAN-IFRA is a CPN day Times are using an algorithm to serve up content project partner. through personalised newsletters, which is helping them reduce subscriber churn. Personalisation must be personalised Why those and many other publishers are taking Although more and more publishers are experiment- advantage of personalisation is clear. It can offer ing with personalisation, the industry hasn’t cracked deeper engagement with the audience. When readers the code yet. In fact, it’s very likely that there is no are served the kind of content they are interested in, single algorithm that fits all titles and all types of they are more likely to consume more of it and come audiences. back regularly. Also, many readers feel overwhelmed “Our tests with users have shown that not everyone by the avalanche of news today, and personalised con- likes the same thing,” says Tilman Wagner, innovation tent can act as an antidote to information overload. manager at Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international Photos: WAN-IFRA CPN project partners include broadcasters, researchers, and technology providers. August 2020 RIND Survey 5 public broadcaster, a CPN project partner. “Some group of start-ups that are developing new services people like to pick categories before they start, others to enhance the recommender. During the course of expect the system to do all that for them, while some the project, the recommender will be put in front of people think personalisation focusing on one aspect hundreds of test users. One insight that has already alone (for example location) is enough. And for some, come out of user testing is how easily readers become you need all of the above. “It’s a bit ironic when you afraid of missing out on important articles. think of it: Personalisation must be personalised,” he “It’s really a balance. People have to feel that they are says. seeing personalised content, while at the same time feel that they also discover other important articles as Bursting the filter bubble well,” says Wagner. “It’s a very subjective feeling.” Instead of trying to create a one-size-fits-all product, Indeed, some news industry professionals worry the CPN project is building a recommender that uses that personalised content could trap their readers in ‘micro-services’, a range of interconnected function- a so-called filter bubble, meaning that the algorithm alities and operations, such as content analysis and would prevent them from seeing important content user profiling, which working together make content that doesn’t match their preferences.