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The Netherlands: Initiatives to Subsidise Press Innovation

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State Aid for Newspapers

Part of the book series: Media Business and Innovation ((MEDIA))

Abstract

Driven by financial pressures, and challenged by rapid technological changes, unpredictable consumer markets, and shortened product life cycles, news media company executives have to be determined to further streamline their operations and stimulate innovation processes, while also looking for ways to make the most money out of their existing product lines. According to early innovation theories, the greater the turbulence and change within an industry, the greater the market opportunities, and the more one should open up one’s horizons to the outside world (e.g. Dean et al. 1993; Utterback 1994). One proven method of creating innovation is by internalising external knowledge (Weerawardena et al. 2006; Hagedoorn 2002; Capron and Mitchell 2004). Moreover, such forms of collaboration help reduce or share the innovation costs (Chesbrough 2007; Sakakibara 2003).

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Notes

  1. 1.

    On the basis of this support measure the Press Fund participated in financing research and joint projects aimed at problems such as:

    • The functioning of journalism; the positions of dailies;

    • The improvement of the position of dailies as advertising platforms;

    • Functions of dailies aimed at youth and ethnic cultural minorities residing in the Netherlands;

    • Ethics and the Internet; the functions of the Internet for information supply and formation of opinions;

    • The improvement of the distribution of dailies;

    • The creation of a code for mergers;

    • Financial position and functions of the local newspapers;

    • The positioning of evening dailies;

    • Civic journalism experiments of a regional newspaper;

    • New business models for internet information products.

  2. 2.

    For example, Colorfull Magazine, Zaman Hollanda, Ekin Media, Parbode, Tulpia, Dalili.

  3. 3.

    For example, Wereldjournalisten, nieuws.marokko, Narrow the Gap, Brug.tv, Pluspost, BredaVandaag, ex Ponto, WijLimburg, Follow the Money, Eilandennieuws, Debunschoter, Latitudes, Zicco.tv, Leap Online, Eutopia.

  4. 4.

    For example, Eilanden Nieuws, Gay Krant, Nieuw Israëlietisch Weekblad, Volzin.

  5. 5.

    For example, Friesch Dagblad, Nederlands Dagblad.

  6. 6.

    For example, Moveyourass.tv (De Nieuwe Omroep/Llink), Mira Media, SEN, Hindulife.nl, News4all, Netkwesties, Wereldbuurt.nl.

  7. 7.

    For example, Bladwijzer, NNP, NUV Groep Dagbladen, Cebuco, Phaff & Partners.

  8. 8.

    For example, Freelancers Associatie, Fontys, NNP, VVOJ, NVJ, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.

  9. 9.

    For example, BVA, SVMK, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen.

  10. 10.

    For example, Koninklijke Bibliotheek, Mira Media, Handboek Tijdschriftpers, NNP, Persinstituut/Universiteit van Amsterdam, Persmuseum.

  11. 11.

    Among them projects such as the development of a national journalistic online network for local activities, information, and service; an online journalistic service desk for news media and opinion leaders of ethnic groups; the development of a new digital cross-media product in addition to a printed regional newspaper; a platform for high-quality, independent video journalism from different perspectives; business models for online products of printed newspapers; experiments with local news sites for a printed regional newspaper; crowd sourced news gathering and aggregation for editorial boards of online newspapers on demand; experiments with editorial and commercial aspects of new cross-media products for news and background information on culture and lifestyle; online news gaming for youngsters; and feasibility study for an online platform of a market place for civic journalism.

  12. 12.

    In 2011 seven studies, funded by the Press Fund, were published in books, most of them in the series Studies van het Stimuleringsfonds. Examples of them are as follows:

    “Dangerous game”: This book by Prenger, Van der Valk, Van Vree, and Van der Wal presents the findings of a study on “journalism in a changing field of force” into the relationship between journalism on the one hand and the PR and communication sector on the other.

    “Room for change”: The research and consultancy bureau Considerati has looked into the potential for innovation in the sector of the printed press and submits recommendations to widen the potential.

    “Research into journalistic creativity”: a study by Karel van den Berg, founder of De Mediapraktijk, a centre for creative journalism, into the potential and the difficulties of creativity and innovation in journalism. In 2011 Van den Berg’s findings were presented in a handbook for creative journalism (“Think of something new. A Handbook for the development of journalistic ideas”) and in a manifesto (“You cannot invent news. Manifesto for the journalistic idea”).

  13. 13.

    One research project of the Press Fund currently under way is a so-called Atlas of regional and local news in the approximately 400 municipalities of the Netherlands. The Atlas will offer a survey of regional and local news platforms (print press, radio, television, and online channels) as well as a content analysis of the various news channels to find out what part of the news is genuinely new and what part is merely copied or perhaps just filled out with quotes from the protagonists concerned with online links. As far as media policy is concerned the following issues will be addressed: What major lessons can be learned from the press innovation projects in the field of regional news supply and cooperation? Are there any examples abroad of successful scenarios for cooperation?

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stimuleringsfonds voor de Pers (The Netherlands Press Fund), The Hague, The Netherlands

    Lou Lichtenberg & Leen d’Haenens

  2. Institute for Media Studies KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Leen d’Haenens

  3. Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Leen d’Haenens

Authors
  1. Lou Lichtenberg
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  2. Leen d’Haenens
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Correspondence to Lou Lichtenberg .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Salzburg ICT&S Center, Salzburg, Austria

    Paul Murschetz

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Lichtenberg, L., d’Haenens, L. (2013). The Netherlands: Initiatives to Subsidise Press Innovation. In: Murschetz, P. (eds) State Aid for Newspapers. Media Business and Innovation. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35691-9_17

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