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Interview:
Larry Kilman, Director of Communications, World Association
of Newspapers : 19th August 2003
Media
Man Australia interviews Larry Kilman, of the World
Association of Newspapers.
Larry
discusses his background, the aims and objectives
of the WAN, and the future of the newspaper business,
that appears to actually be the future of the news
business, as new and exciting technologies emerge.
What's
your background and that of WAN?
Founded
in 1948, the World Association of Newspapers defends
and promotes press freedom world-wide. As the global
association of the newspaper industry, it represents
18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 72 national
newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives
in 100
countries, 13 news agencies and nine regional and
world-wide press groups.
Larry
Kilman is the Director of Communications of WAN. Prior
to joining the association in 1998, he had a 20-year
career as a journalist, on three continents, mostly
for the news agencies Associated Press and Agence
France-Presse.
What
are your aims and objectives?
The
World Association of Newspapers has three major objectives:
€
Defending and promoting press freedom and the economic
independence of
newspapers as an essential condition for that freedom.
€
Contributing to the development of newspaper publishing
by fostering
communications and contacts between newspaper executives
from different
regions and cultures.
€
Promoting co-operation between its member organisations,
whether
national, regional or worldwide.
In
pursuit of these objectives, the World Association
of Newspapers notably:
€
represents the newspaper industry in all international
discussions on
media issues, to defend both press freedom and the
professional and business
interests of the press.
€
promotes a world-wide exchange of information and
ideas on producing
better and more profitable newspapers;
€
opposes restrictions of all kinds on the free flow
of information, on
the circulation of newspapers and on advertising;
€
campaigns vigorously against press freedom violations
and obstacles;
€
helps newspapers in developing countries, through
training and other
co-operation projects;
€
channels legal, material and humanitarian aid to victimized
publishers
and journalists;
How many people attend your
conferences?
Between
200 and 1,200. The big one is the annual World Newspaper
Congress and World Editors Forum, which brings more
than 1,000 publishers, chief editors and other senior
newspaper executives together for the annual meetings
of the world's press.
Are
traditional newspapers threatened by online newspapers,
let alone bloggers?
Not
at all. In fact, traditional newspapers are among
the best providers of news on the internet. What was
first seen as a threat has become an opportunity as
newspapers come to understand that their core product
isn't paper, but news. Distributing the news on all
available channels appears to
be a way forward for the industry.
Describe
freedom of the press in France?
France
has a free press.
Have
you ever looked into the Australian market?
Yes,
of course - our annual World Press trends, the only
annual publication on the global newspaper industry,
always includes a chapter on Australia.
The
information includes figures on circulation, advertising
revenues, number of titles, distribution issues, top
ten lists of dailies, advertising
categories, publishing companies and advertisers,
internet publishing, media consumption, basic demographic
information and more.
The
book can be purchased from WAN at http://www.wan-press.info/pages/article.php3?id_article=567
...end.
Editors
note:
We
wish the WAN future success. It sounds like the newspaper
industry, or should that be, the news industry, has
some exciting times in store. Don't forget to attend
their conference.
Check
our press
releases section for more information on WAN.
Links:
World
Association of Newspapers
WAN:
The 2003 World Forum on Newspapers
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