好新闻有独一无二的社会效益
日期︰2018年04月30日
好新闻有独一无二的社会效益
香港报业公会举办的最佳新闻奖是业界事，报章从业员天天付出努力，务求做出最好的作品，求真、求全面，还透过图片，标题、设计加强讯息传达，务求为读者和大众做出最好的新闻。对报业经营来说，好新闻是报业的灵魂，同时让传统媒体继续扮演舆论领袖的重要角色，这点在网体不断变化下尤为突出。
在资讯泛滥下，无论纸媒、电子传媒抑或网媒，都同样承受各种经营上的压力。新闻机构必须有更强更清晰的定位，才能在风浪中稳住自己的定位，做好新闻正是报纸的核心竞争力。从个别报业集团宣布全年或中期业绩，本业都有起色，说明优质资讯仍然会获读者和广告客户重视。
加价无明显影响销路
今年报业一件大事，是收费报章打破了多年价格维持不变做法，多家报馆先后调高售价。从数字显示，加价影响似乎比估计为轻。如果用再长一点的时间去看，读报人数经多年前的快速回落后，近年已有明显放缓的迹象，如果细看的话，个别报章的读者人数这两年已大致维持，未受网络明显冲击。
根据Ipsos Media Atlas最新的媒体调查，报章之总读者人数保持坚稳。截至2017年第四季，本港12至64岁之报章读者人数维持276万，比对去年同期，免费报及收费报同样录得微升。当中收费报之读者人数由2015年的218万，一度跌至2016年的188万，但2017年已回升至193万，反映报纸读者人数仍然可观之馀，收费报纸并无受去年尾、今年初陆续加价影响。
过去一年报业市场面对不同挑战，其中之一是收费报纸加价，报纸加价结果对读者人数没有造成明显影响，报业本来不是一门厚利生意，发行收益的增加，对经营其实甚有帮助。作为商品能够成功加价，反映了市场的承接力。每次调整价格，等同是提醒读者对消费决定作出检讨，收费报纸能够过关，说明媒体本身的生命力。
传统报业面对媒体生态改变，经营当然不能一成不变。从各媒体集团的业绩看，暂时比较成功的做法之一，是采取报网合一，相辅相承同步增加收益的做法；又或者是采取网络内容与纸媒内容清楚区分，各自经营的策略。由于网媒效益暂时仍然偏低，加上被社交平台和程式广告侵蚀收入，简单地把有价内容全部上载，至今仍难以回收庞大的内容制作成本，以图把纸媒完全变成网媒的做法，存在极大风险。
现时大部份的网媒，都缺乏原创的新闻资讯，部份则处于严重烧钱，缺乏可持续营运模式，在新闻把关上的水准亦良莠不齐，相比之下，报网两条腿走路看来是较为稳健的转型方式。
从报纸广告仍然有价，反映新闻媒体花费大量心血和编采资源打造的内容，仍然具有很大的品牌效应，令纸媒的影响力尚在，这也令新闻媒体与其他单靠流量的网体分别开来。新闻机构要维持本身的定位，好新闻必不可缺，这也是从业员在逆境中共勉坚持的努力方向。由好新闻打造出来的品牌效应，是报业最珍贵的资产。负责任、有深度的报章内容，具有广大的社会效益，实在值得社会各界著力研究如何好好支持和保护，让优质资讯可以继续推动社会进步。
好新闻有独一无二的社会效益
香港报业公会举办的最佳新闻奖是业界事，报章从业员天天付出努力，务求做出最好的作品，求真、求全面，还透过图片，标题、设计加强讯息传达，务求为读者和大众做出最好的新闻。对报业经营来说，好新闻是报业的灵魂，同时让传统媒体继续扮演舆论领袖的重要角色，这点在网体不断变化下尤为突出。
在资讯泛滥下，无论纸媒、电子传媒抑或网媒，都同样承受各种经营上的压力。新闻机构必须有更强更清晰的定位，才能在风浪中稳住自己的定位，做好新闻正是报纸的核心竞争力。从个别报业集团宣布全年或中期业绩，本业都有起色，说明优质资讯仍然会获读者和广告客户重视。
加价无明显影响销路
今年报业一件大事，是收费报章打破了多年价格维持不变做法，多家报馆先后调高售价。从数字显示，加价影响似乎比估计为轻。如果用再长一点的时间去看，读报人数经多年前的快速回落后，近年已有明显放缓的迹象，如果细看的话，个别报章的读者人数这两年已大致维持，未受网络明显冲击。
根据Ipsos Media Atlas最新的媒体调查，报章之总读者人数保持坚稳。截至2017年第四季，本港12至64岁之报章读者人数维持276万，比对去年同期，免费报及收费报同样录得微升。当中收费报之读者人数由2015年的218万，一度跌至2016年的188万，但2017年已回升至193万，反映报纸读者人数仍然可观之馀，收费报纸并无受去年尾、今年初陆续加价影响。
过去一年报业市场面对不同挑战，其中之一是收费报纸加价，报纸加价结果对读者人数没有造成明显影响，报业本来不是一门厚利生意，发行收益的增加，对经营其实甚有帮助。作为商品能够成功加价，反映了市场的承接力。每次调整价格，等同是提醒读者对消费决定作出检讨，收费报纸能够过关，说明媒体本身的生命力。
传统报业面对媒体生态改变，经营当然不能一成不变。从各媒体集团的业绩看，暂时比较成功的做法之一，是采取报网合一，相辅相承同步增加收益的做法；又或者是采取网络内容与纸媒内容清楚区分，各自经营的策略。由于网媒效益暂时仍然偏低，加上被社交平台和程式广告侵蚀收入，简单地把有价内容全部上载，至今仍难以回收庞大的内容制作成本，以图把纸媒完全变成网媒的做法，存在极大风险。
现时大部份的网媒，都缺乏原创的新闻资讯，部份则处于严重烧钱，缺乏可持续营运模式，在新闻把关上的水准亦良莠不齐，相比之下，报网两条腿走路看来是较为稳健的转型方式。
从报纸广告仍然有价，反映新闻媒体花费大量心血和编采资源打造的内容，仍然具有很大的品牌效应，令纸媒的影响力尚在，这也令新闻媒体与其他单靠流量的网体分别开来。新闻机构要维持本身的定位，好新闻必不可缺，这也是从业员在逆境中共勉坚持的努力方向。由好新闻打造出来的品牌效应，是报业最珍贵的资产。负责任、有深度的报章内容，具有广大的社会效益，实在值得社会各界著力研究如何好好支持和保护，让优质资讯可以继续推动社会进步。
香港报业公会副主席 萧世和
Quality news reporting provides unique benefits to society
The Best News Reporting Awards organized by the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong (NSHK) is a significant event in the media industry. Media workers give of their best on a daily basis to provide comprehensive, accurate and prompt news coverage for readers, with the help of photographs, headlines and graphic designs. To newspaper companies, quality news reporting is the soul of the industry, and enables traditional media to continue playing a crucial, leading role in community affairs. This is an important consideration against a background of tumultuous changes in online media.
In this age of information overload, the media industry, inclusive of the print media, electronic media and online media alike, all come under enormous operational pressures. To survive the odds, news corporations must maintain a strong and clear-cut market positioning; and quality news reporting is the very essence of a newspaper’s competitive strength. As can be gleaned from the annual or interim results of individual newspapers, the print media has recorded improvements, underlining the fact that quality news reporting is a sure way of gaining the support of both readers and advertisers.
Price hike has had no impact on circulation
During the year, the most significant development in the print media is a break from the status quo in the last few years, with a number of paying newspapers raising the cover price. Statistics shows that the impact has not been as strong as anticipated. Looking at this subject over a longer perspective, the initial drastic decline in readership many years ago has petered out in the last few years. A closer scrutiny shows that the readership for some papers in the last two years has remained steady and unaffected by the rise of online media. According to the latest IPSO media survey, newspaper readership remained steady at 2.76 million as at the fourth quarter of 2017. There has been a slight increase in the readership of both free and paid newspapers. The readership of paying newspaper was 1.88 million in 2016, but has recovered to 1.93 million in 2017, reflecting a solid picture in newspaper readership.
Last year, the newspaper industry confronted a number of challenges, one of which was a price hike for paying newspapers, but there has been no adverse effect on circulation. Newspaper is not a hugely lucrative business, therefore any additional revenue from newspaper sales is of help. For any commodity to raise its price is a test of its acceptability in the market. A price adjustment is equivalent to a review of the consumer’s purchase decision. In this respect, paying papers have passed the test, which is a testament to its strength and vibrancy in the marketplace.
In response to the changing media market, the industry must make appropriate adjustments. Judging by the results of various media companies, one promising strategy appears to be the amalgamation of the print and the online media, whereby the complementarity can generate additional income. Alternatively, one could try adopting a clear delineation in the content between the print media and the online media, with each operating independently. Currently, the cost-effectiveness of online media is on the low side. Moreover, it is under attack by social media which simply upload contents of value, making it hard for online media to recoup its huge production outlay. Therefore, any attempt to completely transform from a print media into an online media would be fraught with risks.
Currently, the majority of the online media are deficient in original news generation, while others are operating under serious deficits and groping for a sustainable mode of operation. There is also a lacking in a rigorous maintenance of standards in news reporting. In comparison, the amalgamation of the print and online media appears to be a more promising approach in the transformation of the operation mode.
As newspaper advertising can still command a price in the market, it underscores the importance of mobilizing resources and exerting every effort in news reporting in order to uphold one’s branding. As the print media continues to wield influence in the community, that is precisely what differentiates it from online media which relies soley on streaming. To safeguard its market position, any news company must be able to deliver quality news coverage – a common goal shared by dedicated news practitioners in the face of a difficult market environment. The branding that results from quality news reporting is a news company’s most valuable asset. Responsible, in-depth news coverage can confer enormous benefits to the community, it is, therefore, in everybody’s interest that this be nurtured and protected, and that high-quality news reporting be allowed to continue propelling progress in society.
Siu Sai-wo
Vice Chairman, the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong