Data on newspaper research and case studies are available at Shaping the Future of Newspapers, a site sponsored by the World Association of Newspapers. WAN met in Paris last week and published a partial record of its deliberations.

Thanks to Paid Content for pointing to the event and for excerpting this comment by attendee and veteran newsguy Vin Crosbie, who puts the newspaper challenge into perspective:

“The revenue generated from a print reader is 20 to 100 times more than the revenue generated by the user of a newspaper’s website. To put it another way, for every print edition reader lost, the newspaper would have to gain between 20 and 100 website users to replace the lost revenues.”

Rights make might: Variety reports that Disney will soon start sending out residual checks for iPod downloads that it began selling before completing a specific residual agreement with Hollywood unions. The article predicts a dispute will arise over whether the new payments are sufficient. Actors and directors have clout and representation, and can take care of themselves. How will distributors set reimbursement rates for user-generated content on emerging services? There is a need for industry norms. But who sets them in a disaggregated world?

Under the weather: I’m not feeling well today. Fighting a cold. I think I’ll climb back into bed and pull the covers over my head.

Tom Abate
MiniMediaGuy
‘Cause if you ain’t Mass Media, you’re Mini Media