From newspaers to multimedia grups. Business growth strategies of the regional press in Spain

Abstract

Regional newspapers in Spain have experienced a period of stability and prosperity over the last two decades. But across the last five years, increasing media competition and declining circulation figures have diminished Spain?s regional newspaper industry bonanza and the sector is now actively implementing new strategies. This paper analyses the implementation of multimedia and convergence strategies at the two larger Spanish regional media groups: Vocento and Prensa Ibe´rica. Using a case study methodology, the authors provide a perspective on how these regional newspapers have turned into multimedia groups and consider the main difficulties they have encountered along the way and they are still facing. Most Spanish regional newspapers are becoming multimedia groups, which integrate print, radio, television and online platforms. Newspaper publishers have developed strategies that include: the empowering of multimedia newsrooms that provide stories regardless of media platform or distribution method; aggressive cross-promotion; equalizing perceptions of status between newspaper, audiovisual and online workers; utilizing the online service for breaking news that occurs off-publication cycle and encouraging print-side staff members to generate content for exclusive use online