In this thesis, media convergence strategies and added value of digital news services are investigated, focusing on the newspaper industry and it’s audience. Convergence implies that previously unalike areas come together, approaching a common goal. A subordinate concept of convergence, i.e., media convergence, is a concept that has become common when denoting a range of processes within the production of media content, its distribution and consumption. Newspapers are one of many so-called publishing channels that provide information and entertainment. They have traditionally been printed on paper, but today’s digital technology makes it possible to provide newspapers through a number of different channels. The current strategy used by newspaper companies involves a process of convergence mainly regarding multiple publishing. A newspaper company interested in publishing content through multiple channels has to adapt its production workflow to produce content not only for the traditional printed edition, but also for the other channels. In this thesis, a generalized value chain involving four main stages illustrates the production workflow at a newspaper company in relation to the convergence processes. The four stages are creation, packaging, distribution and consumption of content. One of the aims of this thesis is to assess how the views and strategies of newspaper companies concerning media convergence correspond with the opinions and views concerning convergence of their audience. In order to discuss this, seven types of media convergence are suggested. Furthermore, the thesis explores how the newspaper industry is relating to the processes of convergence, using two examples: newspaper companies’ ventures into the use of moving images, and the newspaper companies’ strategies for a future epaper edition. Among the findings of this thesis are that digital news services can add value to a newspaper company, however that the digital news services investigated, in their current form, are not sophisticated enough to give added value as perceived by the audience. The findings of the thesis are based on studies of the newspaper industry in Sweden and reflect specific newspaper companies, their strategies, production workflow and ventures from 2002 to 2007. The methods used have mainly been case studies and surveys. / QC 20100622

På uppdrag av Tidningsutgivarna har en studie utförts angående olika möjligheter att införa tryck av variabeldata med tryckmetoden inkjet i svensk dagspress. Målet var att undersöka tekniska möjligheter och begränsningar samt att utreda om det fanns något intresse på marknaden som skulle kunna ge någon avkastning. Studien utfördes med hjälp av noggranna källstudier och ett fortlöpande samarbete med olika företag med intresse för dagspress. Rapporten beskriver också företag som arbetar med den här typen av innovationer idag och diverse tidigare projekt med variabeltryckta tidningar. Nya teknologier som eventuellt kan vara av intresse för framtida utveckling har också beskrivits och hur tidningens framtid kommer att se ut ur ett kortare och ett längre perspektiv. Studien visar att inkjetpressar inte klarar av den hastighet som de moderna tidningspressarna håller idag. Men i takt med minskade upplagor och utvecklad teknologi, samt ett stort marknadsmässigt intresse så tyder det på att det kommer att finnas möjlighet att tillverka anpassade digitaltryckta tidningsupplagor inom en överskådlig framtid. Inkjet kan fungera som ett bra komplement till offset. Inlinepressar ger möjligheten att införa variabeltryck i stora tidningsupplagor medan separata inkjetpressar passar bra för tryck av mindre lokala upplagor. / By an assignment from the Swedish Media Publishers’ Association a study has been carried out about various opportunities to introduce printing of variable data with inkjet in Swedish newspapers. The aim was to investigate the technical possibilities and limitations, and if there was any interest in the market that would give any return of investment. The study was conducted by accurate studying of sources and a continuous cooperation with different companies with interest in the newspapers. The study shows that inkjet presses can’t handle the speed of the modern newspaper presses yet today. But it could work as a good complement to offset printing and the technique will continue to develop. It will be launched more printing presses with hybrid solutions in the near future.