Jul 2013 Financial News

T&T Guardian going digital. ‘New format will allow for extra info’

Jul 12, 2013

The T&T Guardian is going digital and will be the first local newspaper to do it. As it phases out its current E-edition, the new Digital Guardian is not a replica of the daily newspaper but features multi-media capabilities which will allow subscribers to interact with reporters, editors and advertisers. At a private launch yesterday at the AMCO Compound, Chaguanas, sales manager at Guardian Media Ltd (GML), George Elias, introduced the product, saying it will make the newspaper stand out from all others and will continue its trend of being a trailblazer in innovation.
“Trinidad Guardian has always been among the trailblazers in T&T. We are the first newspaper that ever went online (1995)... first paper with a business newspaper, launched in 1993 and the first to have a mobile app,” he said.

Online readers who subscribed to the Digital Guardian would pay US$39.95 a year and have access to all stories, video clips and the “extras.” Cyntra Achong, general manager, Group Marketing, said its traditional print format had space limitations and the digital format would allow for extra information at the editor’s discretion, depending on the story. “Wherever the editor has additional details they will be added to the digital versions, so subscribers will be able to get additional content, she added.” Also, subscribers would be able to share articles, via social media, print pages from the newspaper, search for stories easily by issue or topic and browse through archives of past newspapers. The web-version of the newspaper is expected to change as Digital Guardian comes on stream. The business, editorial and op-ed sections would only be available to subscribers. Asked whether consumers in T&T were ready for such a change in how they accessed their online news, Elias was confident that as long as the quality and standard of content remained high, subscribers would come on board.

He said: “This is content that we are viewing as being exclusive. We believe that the brands are strong enough that people are going to desire and want to be there. We know that this is the next step for us, for our newspaper.” Elias said the Digital Guardian was targeting a younger demographic, people between the ages 18 and 30, who do not go out to buy a newspaper anyway and that is why there is a strong focus on bringing in tertiary school students. Students would have a preferred access webpage, access to $100,000 in bursary money and a premier card to get discounts from restaurants and retailers throughout the country. Also, and perhaps most useful, students would receive three months of free access, then pay TT$5 a month after that for the subscription.

According to Elias, it is also part of reinforcing the company’s commitment to empowering T&T’s future leaders.The move toward monetising news is nothing new, as the New York Times, Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer and hundreds of other international news organisations have implemented pay walls and subscriptions to access certain stories on their sites. Digital Guardian also intends to enhance the customer and advertiser experience, as businesses can embed videos, receive e-mails from customers, via their advertisement, and even complete transactions. Elias said it’s all about maximum engagement. Advertisers could share more and would be able to receive immediate and direct feedback from their potential customers. he said. All first-time subscribers will receive 30 days free access. From July 24, all E-edition subscribers will be transitioned to the Digital Guardian and in September, GML plans the biggest launch of all.“That’s when we really go big,” said Achong.


Source:
Trinidad Guardian
Friday July 12, 2013

http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2013-07-11/tt-guardian-going-digital