Online news in post-socialist Europe

Online news inPost-socialist Europe

Nicolas Kayser-Bril

6-month overland journey

19 countries studied

Over 75 interviews conducted

Online news in

Post-socialist Europe

1989-1991: Communism crashes in all of Europe

The media changes, too. From this…

Izvestia daily, 1991.

…to this.

Izvestia daily, 2007.

- Advertising- Digitization- Consumer demand- Audience measurement …

Were assimilated in less than 10 years.

A publishing fair in Russia.

What about the internet?

Some media people got creative

B92.fm, Belgrade: Last.fm with news.

h.ua, Kiev: Citizen journalism that works.

The list could go on

RIA Novosti’s integrated newsroom.

But these are exceptions

TV is still king.

Online news isn’t taken seriously yet

Why?

1. Media in post-socialist countries is still about influence

not profit.

Influencial people don’t go online

(they’re old-minded)

2. Financing a project is hell

Don’t even think of an IPO. There are no stock exchanges.

And old habits remain…

3. There’s no advertising market

Advertisements are bought as favors

so that advertisers don’t feel the power of online advertising.

Now, people do go online.

Some news outlets did overcome the obstacles.

Hotnews.ro: €600,000 turnover, 50 journalists.

And scooped the whole market.

B92.net owns 80% of the online ad market.

What’s next?

Online will develop fast

But the market isn’t ready

Media professional need to act now

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