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Competition warms up in the newspaper world

by Alex Ulmanu
December 2004

There has been so much talk about the influence of television on elections that the tumultuous events in print media are easily overlooked. New publications have been launched, others relaunched, while still others are going through turmoil because their publishers want to overhaul them. Most importantly, not all the changes are related to the electoral campaign.

Every four years the media has passed through a period of renewal, ever since democratic elections become a part of life here. As elections approach, political and business interests line up to invest in publications, radio and television stations in the hope of gaining influence over the public and decision-making government officials. All too often such media outlets lose rather than make money, but are nevertheless seen by their benefactors as useful tools of self-promotion through which their adversaries might also be attacked. Many do not survive long after Romanians cast their votes. Some are killed off after the elections, others carry on with a crisis budget. Few survive the long-term.

However, something new is in the air, with recently launched or revamped titles pursuing a specific segment of the public.

Simplifying things to the max, we could say Romanian newspaper readers fall into two broad categories: one comprises people who don't read papers to be informed, but rather for fun and entertainment ñ those people, who have usually received poor or mediocre education, who have low-end jobs and low wages, would be the Libertatea type; the other comprises those who search for information rather than entertainment in newspapers, and would be more likely to read Ziarul Financiar or Capital. The latter segment of the public is a growing category and includes young, dynamic and relatively well-off Romanians who need relevant, well researched information about finance, politics, and issues that are important to them. Advertisers tend to target those people, as they are the biggest spenders amongst Romanian consumers.

This second category, increasing in number as the economy grows stronger and information becomes more important, is the one most targeted by the quality newspapers everywhere in the world. However, it is a truism that Romania lacks such a newspaper. The newspaper market in Romania is formed of several tabloids (with Libertatea the overwhelming leader), a host of hybrid newspapers oscillating between sensationalism and a more serious approach, and a few niche papers such as Ziarul Financiar, which is dedicated to people interested in the world of business. Not surprisingly, the best-written Romanian newspaper for years has been Ziarul Financiar. As it addresses people who need information in the first place, so do its stories generally respect the standards of accuracy and informative news writing style practiced by Western quality media.

None of the general audience newspapers has met all the criteria that distinguish quality journalism from the rest. Adevarul, which claims to be the country's best serious newspaper, too frequently runs biased stories and is prone to sensationalising facts. Romania Libera does the same. Evenimentul Zilei, which trumpets itself as the newspaper of record, is in fact still in transition; it began as a tabloid 12 years ago and is now trying to evolve into a quality newspaper. Furthermore, and unlike the Western quality newspapers, most Romanian newspapers with a large readership lack a set of clear standards, from professional style guides to codes of conduct.

In spite of these faults, some local newspapers appear to have understood the need to professionalise in order to provide a better product to an increasingly demanding audience. Evenimentul Zilei, for example, although still far from being a quality newspaper, is certainly getting closer to this concept. Its well-researched campaign to inform readers on the elections was unprecedented in its depth and value to potential voters. Meanwhile, smaller newspapers have tried to get closer to the concept of the quality press. One example is Curierul National, which has recently adopted a newer looking, more handsome layout.

But the most ambitious project to establish a quality newspaper is Cotidianul. Recently relaunched after a management change, the new Cotidianul aims at bringing a breath of fresh air into the newspaper scene in Romania. Its new editorial team, brought together by the guys who run the successful satirical weekly Academia Catavencu, said they wanted to get rid of the ''hysteria'' promoted by Romanian newspapers. In other words, the paper will avoid the 'sensational' type of journalism that bedevils a great money publications; instead, it will try to present life as it is, in all aspects relevant to its readers.

It certainly sounds good to me, and although there is plenty to criticise about the new layout and content, it looks and reads much better than most other newspapers. Cotidianul has a problem, though: the newspaper had been in a lengthy coma before the resuscitation attempt by the Academia Catavencu team. And it is not sure it can ever grow to be one of the major players, since it never was in the past. It is hard to start from scratch. But it is a noble challenge.

And, with other important newspapers planning to metamorphose into quality information vehicles in the near future, it is going to be interesting to watch them compete. For the sake of readers, this competition should pave the way for stronger ethical and professional journalistic standards.

Alex Ulmanu is the founder of Start Media and a lecturer in journalism.