site.btaFragmenting Markets, Evolving Technologies among Challenges for News Agencies, EANA Conference Reveals

Fragmenting Markets, Evolving Technologies among Challenges for News Agencies, EANA Conference Reveals

Sofia, April 23 (BTA) - The big challenge for news agencies is
that their markets are fragmenting into different platforms,
such as social networks, mobile and digital ones, which raises
the need of providing compelling content for each of them, the
President of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) ,
Clive Marshall, told BTA here on Thursday. BTA hosts EANA's
annual conference, where the directors general and the chiefs of
the biggest news agencies in Europe are holding discussions
April 22-24. The forum's topic is News Agencies and Strategies
for Digital First.

According to Marshall, many of these new platforms demand more
visual content, such as video and graphics, as well as shorter
stories and remaining relevant is part of the challenge that
news agencies face. Trust remains at the core of news agencies'
work, so that clients can be able to trust the news and
information they receive and use it with confidence, he added.

ITAR-TASS Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman said that in
today's era of new information technologies, each person can
become a correspondent by using their mobile phone, sending and
receiving messages and information. News agencies must
understand and analyse these processes and bring this technology
into their daily work. Modern technology evolves very fast and
new things quickly become outdated, which is why journalists
must respond timely and even try to stay ahead, he commented.

The forum also focused on the problem of copy-paste distribution
of information, which according to AFP's Regional Director
Europe, Florence Biedermann, is common for all news agencies.
"One of the means to address this problem is to track the use of
our content on the internet and AFP has a special device for
this purpose. We then get in touch with those people and ask
them to stop, and if they do not, we take them to court," she
explained. This is the case when information is stolen on a
large scale, while small users are generally left alone, as they
are everywhere. When there is an economical issue at stake,
however, legal action is taken, Biedermann noted.

Speaking at the conference, BTA Director General Maxim Minchev
said that news agencies are working in an environment of fierce
competition, where the use of unfair practices is on the rise.
The copy-paste practice costs BTA a lot, he noted, adding that
the Agency is forced to constantly seek new ways for
compensating these losses.

Commenting the ever growing use of social media, Aine Kerr of
Storyful said that according to some statements social media
will kill the news. She noted, however, that people still have
an appetite for pure news, seek information and specifically the
type of content that social networks can not provide.

Associated Press Vice President and Managing Editor Lou Ferrara
commented that there is still a desire for breaking news and
authenticated news, which is unique and verified content.
According to him, some of the ways for news agencies to remain
competitive are to distinguish themselves, offer breaking news
and authentication.