紙媒低潮過後見生機

日期︰2017年03月02日

香港報業公會副主席 蕭世和

新春團拜，遇到香港科技大學副校長(大學拓展)翁以登，他以報喜的語氣說，外國有報導最近很多人重新購買或訂閱報紙，大有紙媒是末日行業之說未必準確。

由於時間關係未有細問報導內容，回到報館後看到一則消息，近日與美國總統特朗普經常打對台的《紐約時報》和《華盛頓郵報》都成功轉虧為盈，《華郵》還準備增聘記者。

美國兩張老牌大報突然傳來喜訊，回春之力來自甚麼呢？行業內有不同分析，最「貼地」的說法是美國總統特朗普不受歡迎之餘，還經常辱罵傳媒，當中兩張大報是重點前靶之一。特朗普還經常質疑媒體「作新聞」，他的團隊創出了「後真相」(POST TRUE)的潮語，結果他罵得愈利害，媒體的收視、閱讀愈上升。最新戰況是《華郵》不惜花錢登廣告反擊，特朗普就一反總統傳統，拒絕出席記者團體活動，直言不必和傳媒人打交道。
貝索斯堅持出實體《華郵》

有大新聞和爭議，利好報紙銷量是人所共知的因素。然而，在天時地利外，報業本身的自強都同樣重要，《華郵》的復蘇就是個鮮活例子。曾經威盡一時的《華盛頓郵報》因為作風老舊，導致銷量下跌，收入大減，不堪虧損下要放盤求售。大報衰微，使部份人仕把「紙媒會死」、「網媒才是明天」掛在口邊，結果這位老報郤被網企大亨、阿馬遜大股東貝索斯收購。這位在網絡經濟叱咤風雲的大亨沒有像很多看淡紙媒的經營者，全面棄守轉到網上去，因為他明白報紙要有公信力，方法之一是保持發行實體版。這個做法是和眾多紛紜，門檻可以很低的網媒區分的重要身份象徵，所以他表明無意放棄紙媒，反而決定網上網下一起幹。

對岸的草總是比較綠，在網絡多年的貝索斯看到實體媒介門檻較高的特點，珍惜和發揮了這個資產的價值，乘著美國大選的爭議，《華郵》把握機會加入戰團，結果贏得不少美國人的支持，網上網下版銷量齊升，初步証明了這位網企大亨對實體報紙的體驗正確。
資訊和公信力始終有價

把貝索斯的體驗放到香港，可以看到相同的情況。現時部份人，包括部份機構主事者，會把「報紙少人看」放在嘴邊;矛盾的是一有大事發生，他們就會找報紙老總解釋一番，然後不忘補上一句「還是傳統的報紙雜誌公信力高」。這些主事者矛盾的行為其實不能深責，因為他們不是媒體專家，當個別經營者天天在唱著紙媒無明天的時候，誰又能要求其他人去深究這些說話的真偽呢？只是，當事到危急，他們的直覺和常識就跑出來，告訴自己還是一步一腳印走出來的報紙電視有公信力和可信。

美國紙媒走向衰弱的時間比香港早，現時他們的回勇，是否必定會在香港出現呢？答案大抵是有可能但不一定，因為時地不同，經營策略不同，產生效果就不一樣。正如紙媒在美國不振，但在世界其他地方，其實還有不少地區紙媒依然蓬勃，又正如美國的網媒欣欣向榮，香港網媒能夠做到財政健康的還是數量有限。作為媒體，資訊和公信力有價，這點還是比較可以確定的，美國同業的例子帶來了啟示，如何勇闖艱鉅和充滿挑戰的明天，看來還要香港報業自身的努力。

Print media rebounds after depression

I bumped into Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Vice-president for Institutional Advancement Eden Woon Yi-teng at a Lunar New Year gathering. He told me in an elated tone about Western media reports that people are starting to invest again in the print media. This, of course, challenges the saying that newspapers are a sunset industry.

I did not have time to ask Woon for details. But after I returned to the office, I read reports that the New York Times and the Washington Post, newspapers that frequently fought with US president Donald Trump recently, have successfully returned to profits. The latter is even planning to hire more reporters.

What then are the reasons for the revival of these two old-time newspapers?

Various theories have been put forward by the industry, but the most“realistic”one was related to Trump, who is not only unpopular, but has been hitting out at the media, with the two newspapers among his key targets.

Trump also accused the media of "fabricating news”, and his team came up with the chic term“Post True”. But it seemed that the fiercer were his attacks, the higher were the media's viewership and readership.

The latest reports from the “war zone” was that Washington Post was willing to spend money on advertisements to hit back at Trump, who, in turn, refused to take part in functions of journalists' bodies, declaring that there was no need for him to deal with the media lot.

Bezos insisted on keeping Washington Post's print edition

That major news events and controversies boost newspaper circulation is a commonly acknowledged phenomenon. Yet apart from the right conditions, it is also important that the industry itself makes an effort, and the revival of the Washington Post is an immediate example.

The paper had once been great. But its obsolete mode of operation has caused circulation and revenue to fall, so much so that it had to look for a buyer.

Undaunted by talks about the "death of the print media" and "online media is the future" as old newspapers went downhill, internet tycoon, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, bought the Washington Post.

But unlike those who take a dim view of the print media, he did not give up the newspaper's print edition. Clearly, he understands that the credibility of a newspaper comes from its print presence, and the print edition is the greatest symbol of status that differentiates a respectable newspaper from low-cost online publications.

As such, Bezos stated clearly from the start that he had no intention of killing the print edition, but will continue to run it hand in hand with the online version.

The pasture on the other side is always greener. Bezos treasured the high-entrance barrier of print media, and made good use of this unique advantage. Washington Post engaged itself in the US presidential election storm, and won much support from US citizens. As a result, hit rate and circulation for its online and print editions rose simultaneously.

This proved that the online tycoon’s view on print newspaper is right on the money, at least preliminarily.

Information and credibility are valuable after all

Applying Bezos' perspective to Hong Kong, we can see that the situation is rather similar. Many heads of organizations often regurgitated the comment "few people read newspapers now."

Ironically, whenever major news event happens, they would call up chief editors of newspapers to explain the intricacies of the events to them. Afterward, they would comment that "after all, it is traditional newspapers and magazines that have higher credibility."

We can't blame these organization chiefs for being self-contradictory. After all, they aren't media experts. As many newspaper operators are, themselves, doomsayers about the print media, how can we expect those outside the industry to ascertain the validity of such a belief?

But in urgent situations, intuition and common sense took over to tell them that it is right to trust traditional newspapers and television stations, whose credibility are established brick-by-brick over a long period of time.

The downturn of US print media started earlier than their counterparts in Hong Kong. Would the rebound they are now experiencing happen in Hong Kong?

The answers is likely but not necessary. Different timing, location and operating strategy produce different results. When the US print media was down on luck, their counterparts in many regions in other parts of the world remain robust. Likewise, while the online media is burgeoning in the US, few of those in Hong Kong are financially healthy.

What is certain is that information and credibility are always assets for any media. What is happening in the US are inspiring, but we still have to rely on our own courage and efforts to face up to the stiff challenges of tomorrow.

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