The new business model for newspapers, particularly for printing operations, means offering:

• even better quality in all their products
• higher productivity
• lower waste and costs
• and more ideas.

Baker highlighted the historical developments that led to today’s newspaper publishing and printing operations, and he says the last 50 years have provided an acceleration in technology advancement like never before.

Newspaper printing operations today feature more optimisation, automation and standardisation, positioning them to offer their clients top-quality products, also in the commercial sector. Even mailroom technology has advanced to the point that they can be profit centres.

But advances in the digital sector offer both major threats and opportunities for newspapers. He cited the example of Groupon, the online-coupon sector giant that is forecast to have a US$ 25 billion value on the stock market. “Those are staggering numbers. What has happened to our print coupons?” says Baker.

Then of course there is the iPad, which many think will really give newspapers a chance to charge for content, as many are already doing on their websites. “Only time will tell if we succeed there.”

What is clear is that doing nothing is no longer an option. “There are three types of people in the world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what just happened. We shouldn’t end up in this last group,” says Baker.