Will Asia Sentinel prove that journalists can run a title?

Marrying traditional journalism with a contemporary platform -the web - new online regional news publication Asia Sentinel is banking on editorial quality in its bid to lure advertisers and succeed where other regional news titles have failed. Helmed by a small team of veteran journalists and editors, the title marks the latest efforts by journalists to be financially responsible for a publication. Led by John Berthelsen and Philip Bowring, former managing editor and editor for the Hong Kong Standard and Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) respectively, Asia Sentinel launched out of Hong Kong in mid-July. According to Berthelsen, the web is the most practical space for a regional newspaper. "The regional print model is not working in Asia," he says, pointing to the closure of the weekly FEER title. "It is very costly to print a regional news title and most don't survive because of their business models." But, led by a team of journalists who have yet to appoint sales executives, what are Asia Sentinel's chances at survival? Asia Sentinel's operating costs may be lean, but the publication has yet to sign on a single advertiser, its forecast primary source of revenue. Berthelsen, however, does not seem unduly concerned. "Obviously we're operating on a shoestring," he says. "But we have some seed money which will last us at least six months." "Advertisers usually don't take note until you reach about 30,000 discreet readers a day," Berthelsen explains. "So at this point we're really just focusing on content." Media planners contacted by Media hadn't heard of Asia Sentinel, and warned its editors against pre-occupation with content at the expense of revenue sourcing. "No media can live without income," says Vince Cheng, managing director of MEC Taiwan, citing the failure of web-based Taiwanese newspaper, Taiwan Times, as an example. While Taiwan Times had 200 journalists on board and well-regarded content, it folded after just one year. "Asia Sentinel needs to set up workable income streams - and fast." "If they have no subscribers, no advertisers and no other source of revenue, and are also not independently wealthy then they will be in trouble," echoed Andrew Butcher, founder of Butcher & Partners Worldwide. "Of course journalists can run a publication, if they have any business sense. Just look at Dow Jones." "The key to its success is how it markets itself," said Rubin Suardi, manager at MindShare Indonesia. "Since it is a challenger brand, it needs to differentiate early on, such as how the Economist did when it re-launched a few years ago." Suardi also suggested extending coverage to the mobile space. As for its operational setup, Suardi notes that the publication needs a designated sales person, or an editor who can sell as well as edit. "It can be done of course," he says. "The advantage is that there is constant co-operation between sales and editorial sides. But the editor must have a business sense."

by | 09/07/2006

Marrying traditional journalism with a contemporary platform â€”the web â€” new online regional news publication Asia Sentinel is banking on editorial quality in its bid to lure advertisers and succeed where other regional news titles have failed.

Helmed by a small team of veteran journalists and editors, the title marks the latest efforts by journalists to be financially responsible for a publication.

Led by John Berthelsen and Philip Bowring, former managing editor and editor for the Hong Kong Standard and Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) respectively, Asia Sentinel launched out of Hong Kong in mid-July.

According to Berthelsen, the web is the most practical space for a regional newspaper. "The regional print model is not working in Asia," he says, pointing to the closure of the weekly FEER title. "It is very costly to print a regional news title and most don't survive because of their business models."

But, led by a team of journalists who have yet to appoint sales executives, what are Asia Sentinel's chances at survival?

Asia Sentinel's operating costs may be lean, but the publication has yet to sign on a single advertiser, its forecast primary source of revenue. Berthelsen, however, does not seem unduly concerned. "Obviously we're operating on a shoestring," he says. "But we have some seed money which will last us at least six months."

"Advertisers usually don't take note until you reach about 30,000 discreet readers a day," Berthelsen explains. "So at this point we're really just focusing on content."

Media planners contacted by Media hadn't heard of Asia Sentinel, and warned its editors against pre-occupation with content at the expense of revenue sourcing. "No media can live without income," says Vince Cheng, managing director of MEC Taiwan, citing the failure of web-based Taiwanese newspaper, Taiwan Times, as an example. While Taiwan Times had 200 journalists on board and well-regarded content, it folded after just one year. "Asia Sentinel needs to set up workable income streams â€” and fast."

"If they have no subscribers, no advertisers and no other source of revenue, and are also not independently wealthy then they will be in trouble," echoed Andrew Butcher, founder of Butcher & Partners Worldwide. "Of course journalists can run a publication, if they have any business sense. Just look at Dow Jones."

"The key to its success is how it markets itself," said Rubin Suardi, manager at MindShare Indonesia. "Since it is a challenger brand, it needs to differentiate early on, such as how the Economist did when it re-launched a few years ago." Suardi also suggested extending coverage to the mobile space.

As for its operational setup, Suardi notes that the publication needs a designated sales person, or an editor who can sell as well as edit.

"It can be done of course," he says. "The advantage is that there is constant co-operation between sales and editorial sides. But the editor must have a business sense."