Newspapers now active in all those areas. Today, it seems they're concerned with only two key areas: charging for content and the iPad phenomenon, says Aldo van Weezel, Director of the Media Management And Transformation Centre for Latin America.

But whatever emerges for the future newspaper companies, it is likely that technological development is driving their concerns, says Mr van Weezel, whose Chile-based centre researches consumer and media behaviour.

"The context is how technology is pushing the transformation of the industry so much, that it's changing the business model," he says.

His presentation focused on the new opportunities provided to publishers by emerging technology, and the importance of understanding how consumers use the new tools.

For example, there is the emergence of the iPad, which Mr van Weezel called "a salvation tool" for the industry, and the new newspaper created  for the device by News Corporation – The Daily.

"The Daily is not really a newspaper, it's a magazine with a lot of features, games and other attractions, it's a magazine for people who don't read newspapers," says Mr van Weezel. But most of all, "it's an opportunity."

"There are people who love technology – they think the latest gadget is the solution to all problems, and there are people who don't like it at all and stick with newspapers. So we have to find a middle way, we have to see what's behind the technology and how to use it," he says.