KUCHING: Each individual news outlet must have its own strategies and way forward to ensure they remain sustainable and relevant amid the digital shift in the industry.
DagangNews.com editor Johardy Ibrahim opined that the relaunching of theSun print edition is a tough choice but having the strong financial might of Berjaya Group may help the publication.
He pointed out that the focus of theSun has been in the Klang Valley market, and it has built its own followers over the past years.
“Previously, theSun’s print edition was distributed for free so one must wait and see what the reaction will be like when people must pay RM1 per copy albeit this is much cheaper compared to other mainstream newspapers.
“The low price point of RM1 might be a positive factor, but it would not be a determining factor for a viable market especially in this digital age. It is not ‘cool’ for youngsters to hold a newspaper in public nowadays,” he told New Sarawak Tribune on Thursday (Nov 9).
The Sarawakian-born journalist with over 30 years of experience said while the rise of online new consumption is undeniable, print newspapers still have some upper hand.
“There are still people who love to have their faces or stories in newspapers where they would take a copy or print it out to put in a frame for wall display. However, I must point out that other than that newspapers would take up a lot of space in your house or office.”
Johardy added that theSun is taking a leap of faith considering how many journalists have been saying that print newspapers are a sunset industry.
“With the mighty corporate backing of Berjaya Group, it would ease the burden of looking for media sales. Having a print edition is tough, but as long as the digital side is not neglected then theSun might see the bright of the day in journalism.”
Meanwhile, Professor Datuk Dr Ahmad Murad Merican described theSun’s relaunching of its print edition as a bold and correct decision.
The professor of social and intellectual history at International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) said theSun knows its market and readers thus it is a pertinent choice to reintroduce a print edition.
“As far as the foreseeable future is concerned, we still need print periodicals and journalism just like how we are still using print books and e-books. It is difficult to say whether the relaunch of The Sun’s print edition will have any impact on the overall newspaper industry, but it should have, and it can be a reminder of the profitability of print.”
Ahmad Murad pointed out the market is there for news outlets that are selling their print edition for the low price point of RM1.
“There must be rebranding in print journalism so that it expands beyond news, opinion, and commentary to authoritative journalism of ideas, opinion, and facts. Despite the rise of online news consumption, print newspapers still offer authoritative news and delayed gratification.”
For the record, theSun has been relaunched with a 32-page publication by adopting a fresh identity and a new tagline ‘Malaysian Paper’.
With its relaunch, theSun aims to captivate the younger generation of readers with fresh content and a modernised approach.
According to its editorial director Datuk Seri Azman Ujang, the transition from a free newspaper model to a paid one comes after the company’s pioneering role in revolutionising the industry since the 1990s.
“By distributing the paper for free all these years, we managed to reach a readership of close to a million daily with a circulation of 300,000 copies a day. But as the saying goes, all good things come to an end.
“We feel the time is right to change,” he said at the relaunch event at Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Country Resort on yesterday (Nov 8).
