MIDDLE EAST
10 INSIGHT BACKSTORY
23 November 2008
MEDIA
Papering over the cracks
An improvement in content and advertising policy is the only way newspapers will win from the crash
By L. SILAS MAGILLICUDDY
LOVE HIM or loathe him, Rupert Mur- Gulf News, Khaleej Times and Gulf Today. less lead to considerable jostling for posi- But will others follow this lead? Speak
doch had it bang on. Contrary to the phi- Later, Khaleej Times added a relaunch tion between titles as they fight for other to a Gulf News executive, for example,
losophy of media barons around the world of its own to the pot and the newsstands advertising areas. and they have a clear belief that the acres
who only looked at the bottom line of the around the UAE have never before looked This is where Murdoch’s theory fits in of agency stories in their paper are a good
account book—seeing their newspapers, so slinky and typeset. so well. The best way to attract advertisers thing. While others might suggest there
TV stations and radio operations as vehi- Since these changes, however, credit is to prove their products and services will is a certain room for improvement in this
cles to hold together all the advertising— has crunched and the world has slowed be seen by the widest readership; the best respect, it’s a view seldom shared by the
Murdoch has always viewed editorial as down, and there’s no doubt that media way to attract a bigger readership is to up Safa staffers.
the basis for generating advertising, and companies are getting edgy about their your editorial game. Going back to advertisers though, it is
not the other way around. no secret that newspapers haven’t enjoyed
Even in Murdoch’s Newscorp outlets, the greatest affection from agencies, which
there remains the eternal conflict between Generally, we look for a paper’s reach so the message for a long time have seen them as arrogant,
advertising and editorial, with sales jos-
can go to as many readers as possible. Reach is
especially since the dailies have had it so
tling for the most pages or airtime possi-
ble, but it is usually tempered by the Dirty
important and so quality content is important.
good for so long. There is now a feeling
among the industry that papers should
Digger’s belief that editorial comes first. If become more open and receptive to the
you provide a good product, he has often bottom lines. In the West, newspaper ad And in terms of this, there’s little doubt needs of what is essentially their lifeblood.
said, this will always drive advertising. sales act as a barometer for impending that The National has set the benchmark “They have enjoyed a lot of good times
But does this hold true in the UAE? Are gloom as that section of the industry is for others to follow. Ricarda Ruecker, in terms of advertising over the past couple
we likely to see papers facing tough times one of the first hit. COO of Lowe, concurs: “The success of of years when there was a boom, mainly
in the murky period ahead, forcing them But on these shores, it is hard to gauge newspapers has always been about their from real estate and telecoms,” says Alex
to up the standard of their editorial? For the likelihood of how much revenues will quality and content. Personally, I believe Saber, executive vice-president and CEO
some of the titles out there, this could be hit by an impending recession. There The National has a great future because its of Starcom. “But now I think the amount of
only be a good thing. is a general feeling of pessimism among content has the most depth. advertising they take has dropped.
In just a short half-year the newspaper magazines out of Media City, as well as “Of course, advertising in a certain “This hasn’t been a surprise. As of right
industry has changed enormously. The your big-name Garhoud-based publish- paper depends on the advertiser and its now, they will need to rethink their sales
National, with a Western newsroom, real ers, who are already tightening their belts. objective,” he continues. “Generally, we strategy on how to get business.” Saber advis-
newsprint and a boundary-pushing agen- Already, we are seeing falling revenues look for a paper’s reach so the message es newspapers to become more competitive
da, launched out of Abu Dhabi a little more from the property sector, for so long the can go to as many readers as possible. in their pricing and aggressive in their mar-
than six months ago to shake up the tradi- babes of the sales floor. Other industries Reach is important and so quality con- keting. “They have to be realistic that things
tional Dubai broadsheet triumvirate of will follow soon after and this will doubt- tent is important.” are not going to be so rosy,” he adds.
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