New peak newspaper industry

The scope of the new peak organisation will encompass all industry issues including: advocacy; marketing and advertising; government lobbying; regulation; the environment and sustainability.

It will operate under the name of The Newspaper Works and will be charged with aggressively promoting newspapers across all print and digital platforms to audiences including advertisers, consumers, governments, shareholders, and the newspaper industry.

News Ltd, Fairfax Media, Seven West Media and APN News & Media will continue to own The Newspaper Works with membership broadened to include other publishers and industry partners as associate members.

“Our industry needs one peak organisation with a strong voice to represent newspapers in the many forms they now take - print, web, mobile and tablet,” said Greg Hywood, chairman of The Newspaper Works.

“The newspaper industry is undergoing fundamental change, and as it does so, we are seeing our audiences expand faster than ever before.

“This initiative will enable us to do a more effective job of communicating the extraordinary transformation we are experiencing and the many advantages these historic changes are presenting us,” he said.

Tony Hale, who will lead The Newspaper Works as CEO, said: “This is a big and exciting step. The time is right to create a new powerhouse for the industry given the success we’re recording with the explosion of new technology in our industry.
“Our many audiences can only benefit from The Newspaper Works’ new scope of operation.”

From early 2012, the new peak organisation will assume the current roles and responsibilities of The Newspaper Publishers’ Association/PANPA, the industry’s environmental bureau, PNEB* and the advertising compliance body, PAAB*, as they apply to the newspaper industry.

The NPA’s chief executive, Mark Hollands said: ““This is a great move. It provides a single voice, purpose and strategy for our industry. 

“The Newspaper Works will represent all newspapers including regional, suburban and community and we will engage with partners, suppliers and key stakeholders as we always have done through PANPA. Our relationship with New Zealand titles and those in the Asia-Pacific remain very important to us.”

Hollands will be responsible for leading the new organisation in areas including advocacy and industry best practice.

The Newspaper Works will serve publishers in south-east Asia and the Pacific region through the industry’s PANPA and Caxton awards, as well as scholarships and publications.

*PNEB is the Publishers’ National Environment Bureau. Its mission is to ensure that Australia’s leading publishers continue to lead the world in the sustainable recovery of old newspapers and magazines.

 *PAAB is the Publishers’ Advertising Advisory Bureau. Its role is to advise members on legal and other issues relating to advertising and to represent the industry at government level. 

December 2011