The last few pages of GXpress this issue, come to you from Bangkok, where the ASEAN Newspaper Printers' conference is about to be held, and happily the internet speed is greater than at my regular desk.
I'm at the Intercontinental Hotel, with the Erawan shrine - at which more than 20 people died in an explosion at the start of last week - just outside. And where my room was almost half the rack rate, presumably as a result.
That said, it's still a delight to be back in what is probably my favourite Asian city, despite its many shortcomings. My second visit this year, after WAN-Ifra's Asia committee once again welcomed delegates for Publish Asia in April.
This is our last edition before the WAN-Ifra World Publishing Expo and associated events in Hamburg, and to achieve that we've had to settle for a cut-off ahead of ANP here and the Future Forum in Sydney.
Reports from both - and WPE Hamburg - will be in our November issue.
The latter seems to have settled into a pragmatic 'this is where we are' approach, and a recognition that money is still to be made out of printed newspapers, the more so if you do it efficiently.
One vote of confidence there is the commissioning of the new triple-wide Goss at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (see page 24). Another is the decision of Boston Globe - and Red Sox and Liverpool FC - owner John W. Henry to commit to a new print site for the paper... and presumably, new press and mailroom kit to fit it out by the projected 2017 date. Another non-media owner - who bought the 143-year-old newspaper, its nearby Worcester Telegram & Gazette title, websites and direct mail business - plus a half share in the Metro Boston newspaper in 2013 for $70 million - coming to terms with print publishing.
The former New York Times operation will also print the NYT itself, the Boston Herald - which shut down its own plant in 2008 - and other papers. The idea of plant sharing and outsourcing is somewhat more accepted than it is in other parts I can think of. Though who knows? With APN in Australia behaving increasingly as if it were a News Corp subsidiary - nobody except me seems bothered about the control implications of Rupert's 15 per cent holding - they could be printing APN's string of titles at Murarrie next...
At the publishing company we call MPC Media lately, we've been busy launching a new website for GXpress' sister trade title, Sportslink (the new one's at slinki.biz) but still finding time to muse what the Murdoch camp is playing at with Australia's favourite game. Negotiation by media, perhaps. The man himself is extensively pictured in his own papers as I write this (of course) spruiking the $2.5 billion package deal for Aussie Rules, and looking for all the world as if he is plotting the NRL's downfall with Kerry Stokes. What that means for fans and the game itself, we shall have to wait to see.
And so, back to print: I have a feeling the pragmatism I mentioned earlier may spill over into the Hamburg Messe - along with the European immigrants I hear have made it their home. The print positivity is welcome. One of the talking points is bound to be Kodak's Jersey deal... the imaging and graphic arts giant "putting its money where its mouth is" on digital newspaper printing.
In most of the digital press projects we've reported over the years, there has been a pretty specificreason why an inkjet web is the best fit. The Walliser Bote plant in Switzerland and now Kodak's joint venture with the Jersey Evening Post are different - not least because of the volume of newspapers that have to be produced.
Kodak wants to show that inkjet technology - or more specifically their inkjet technology - is up to the job, and has had the imagination to partner a publisher to show that. We wish them well, and look forward to a successful project.
As it is one of several recent developments which breathe new life into print publishing, we've made it our cover theme this issue. Bring it on!
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