Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The World Wide Web should become more important as technology advances. Because people use the Web differently to traditional media, media companies should investigate the new medium to fully reap its benefits and to understand its future impact on their revenue streams. British media companies have co-operated and invested heavily in the Internet for years and continue to do so through content portals, typically web sites for their newspaper titles. They initially did so to protect themselves from entrepreneurs who potentially threatened their classified advertising revenues with Web-only classified advertising directories. Classified advertising works better on the Web. A newspaper's website seems to have no adverse effect on its circulation. Via their websites, newspapers can reach and market to people who would otherwise not buy them. British advertisers are spending more on advertising online and on advertising in the regional press. Rapidly expanding Newsquest is the second-largest British regional publisher. Its management structure is hierarchial and it aggressively controls costs. Although the digital media department of Newsquest (London) has some flaws (notably when it comes to communication with other departments), its strategy is generally sound. Newsquest's newsrooms are multi-media and all journalists contribute to and maintain newspaper websites. Most of Newsquest's Internet revenue comes from charging classified advertisers more for uploading their adverts to the websites. The adverts are listed in Fish-t, a classified advertising database maintained by most UK regional publishers. Whereas Newsquest's regional policies are generally sound, national plans and software programmes are often not suitable for such a devolved corporation. Newquest's strategy of aggressive cost control by underpaying staff (and hence often not being able to retain top performers) jeopardises its classified advertising revenues, as the competition it faces on the Web is larger than in traditional circulation areas. Greater automation is necessary to bypass shortomings and errors made by low-performing staff. The Watford Observer's website is operated similarly to a free newspaper. Newsroom staff are encouraged to take ownership of it and emphasis lies on convincing online readers to buy The Watford Observer in print. The website plays an important role in marketing the newspaper and mainly generates profit by providing added value to advertisers. The newspaper's circulation has been falling for some time and some senior managers ascribe this to the Internet. By means of a home delivery system that allows people to subscribe to the printed newspaper online, circulation could be boosted through the website. The current subscriptions model is ineffective. With the exception of CaxtonlCTP, some major South African media companies with regional titles follow a pro-active newspaper website strategy. Although there is a critical mass of wealthy consumers and technological development is sufficient, government telecommunications policy and the telephone operator's monopoly seriously undermine Internet use and media companies' profits from it. As technology advances (portable, fold-up displays are not far off), newspaper content may in future be displayed exclusively online. This is problematic, as display advertising is ineffective on the Web. Newspaper publishers could acquire mobile telephone operators and Internet service providers to control these developments. Newspaper companies must (and many do) accept they need to be multimedia publishers in the future. South African media companies are forced to maintain low-key Internet operations until government telecommunications policy changes. Newsquest's online business model is an example what could potentially be achieved. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die web behoort belangriker te word soos tegnologie vooruitgaan. Omdat 'n mens dit anders gebruik as tradisionele media, behoort mediamaatskappye die nuwe medium te ondersoek om volle voordeel daaruit te trek en die volle impak daarvan op hullopende inkomste te verstaan. Britse mediamaatskappye het saamgespan en het jare lank in die Internet belê deur die handhawing van inhoudsportale en, meer spesifiek, koerantwebwerwe. Oorspronklik het hulle dit gedoen om hulself te beskerm teen entrepreneurs wat moontlik hul persoonlike advertensies met web-gebaseerde persoonlike advertensiegidse sou bedreig. Persoonlike advertensies werk beter op die web. 'n Koerant se sirkulasie blyk nie benadeel te word deur sy webwerf nie. Deur hul webwerwe kan koerante mense (ook vir bemarkingsdoeleindes ) bereik wat andersins nie die koerant sou koop nie. Britse adverteerders bestee meer aan aanlynadvertensies en adverteer toenemend m die streekspers. Newsquest groei vinnig en is die tweede-grootste Britse streeksuitgewer. Die maatskappy het 'n hiërargiese bestuurstruktuur en beperk agressiefbedryfskoste. Al het Newsquest (London) se digitale mediadepartement foute (veral wat kommunikasie met ander departemente betref), is strategie in die algemeen goed. Newsquest se nuuskantore is multimedia en alle joernaliste dra by tot die inhoud en onderhoud van koerantwebwerwe. Newsquest verdien sy meeste internet-inkomste deur meer te vra vir aanlyn-persoonlike advertensies op sy werwe. Advertensies word dan in Fish4, 'n persoonlike advertensiedatabasis, wat deur die meeste Britse streekskoerantuitgewers gebruik en versorg word, aangebied. Al is Newsquest se beleid op streeksvlak oor die algemeen goed, is nasionale planne en sagteware-programme baie keer nie toepaslik vir so 'n gedesentraliseerde maatskappy nie. Newsquest se strategie om agressief koste te beheer deur werknemers lae salarisse te betaal (en as gevolg daarvan dikwels nie top-presteerders te behou nie), stel sy persoonlike advertensie-inkomste in gevaar omdat die mededinging wat die maatskappy op die Internet in die gesig staar groter is as op tradisionele sirkulasie-areas. Groter outomatisering is nodig om tekortkomings en foute, wat deur sleg betaalde en onderpresterende werknemers veroorsaak word, te omseil. The Watford Observer se webwerf word soos 'n gratis koerant bestuur. Joernaliste word aangespoor om besit daarvan te neem en 'n klem word daarop geplaas om aanlyn-lesers te oortuig om die koerant te koop. Die webwerf speel 'n belangrike rol in die bemarking van die koerant en verhoog hoofsaaklik wins deur waarde by te voeg by persoonlike advertensies. Die koerant se sirkulasie val al vir geruime tyd en sommige senior bestuurders skryf dit toe aan die Internet. Deur 'n afleweringsdiens wat mense die moontlikheid gee om aanlyn in te teken vir die gedrukte koerant, kan sirkulasie egter deur die webwerf verbeter word. Die huidige intekenmodel in ondoeltreffend. Met die uitsondering van CaxtonlCTP volg sommige Suid-Afrikaanse mediamaatskappye met streekstitels 'n pro-aktiewe koerantwebwerf-strategie. Hoewel daar 'n voldoende aantal welvarende tegnologiese en verbruikersontwikkeling is, ondermyn die regering se telekommunikasiebeleid en die telefoonmaatskappy se monopolie ernstig Internetgebruik en mediamaatskappye se wins daaruit. Soos tegnologie vooruitgaan (byvoorbeeld draagbare, opvoubare skerms), mag koerantinhoud in die toekoms dalk uitsluitlik aanlyn aangebied word. Dit is problematies, omdat gewone advertensies ondoeltreffend op die web is. Koerantuitgewers mag dalk selfoonoperateurs en Internet-diensverskaffers aankoop om hierdie ontwikkelings te beheer. Suid-Afrikanse mediamaatskappye IS gedwing om lae vlak Internet-bedrywighede te handhaaf totdat die regering se telekommunikasiebeleid verander. Newsquest se aanlynmodel is 'n voorbeeld van wat bereik kan word.