Mobile strategies are playing an increasingly prominent role as SA's top newspaper titles fight to attract and maintain online audiences, with Independent Media today kicking its offensive up a gear with the launch of its IOL Mobile platform.
The publisher's new smartphone offering aims to increase digital engagement, as a few of its print titles recorded some of the biggest circulation declines. The Audit Bureau of Circulations of SA's (ABC's) second quarter report notes total newspaper circulation decreased by 175 000 compared to the previous quarter, while figures for daily titles have shown an annual dip of around 4.2% since 2010.
The Cape Argus showed the largest decline among daily titles, with a 12.39% year-on-year decline to record circulation figures of 29 170, while the Cape Times dipped 10.20% to 31 784 in the same period.
Jude Mathurine, senior journalism lecturer at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, says newspaper relevance in a new media economy depends on the capacity of media organisations to "integrate and differentiate their content to capitalise on the rhythms, tastes and platforms that their audience uses for different purposes and at different times".
Mathurine says mobile strategies have become increasingly important for media organisations in the country's saturated cellphone landscape. "Media organisations that fail to have an integrated approach and monetise mobile media as part of their editorial and business approach risk new start-ups and other competitors eroding their brand value and audience potential in these areas."
According to Effective Measure's South African Internet Map, News24 dominates the online landscape with more than four million unique browsers. The Times, which has steadied its print readership, has more than a million browsers. Meanwhile, Caxton's Citizen newspaper may have experienced a dip in print circulation, but its online unique numbers stand at 477 000.
Digital silver lining
PricewaterhouseCoopers' Entertainment and Media Outlook - which includes estimated digital revenue of all paid-for newspaper Web sites in the country - has predicted a sharp increase in the years leading up to 2017.
According to the report, digital circulation is set to grow from R13 million to reach R215 million in 2017.
The growing focus on digital means newspapers will battle to stand out, says Mathurine. "Every channel needs a different way to mediate the same story to different audiences.
"Media organisations will have to ensure that their content and voice is distinctive across their platforms and from their competitors - and indeed, journalists will have to ensure that they can do a better job at providing layer of context, insight and analysis and hyper-local detail."
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