Online news in
Post-socialist Europe
Nicolas
Kayser-Bril

6-month overland journey
19 countries studied
Over 75 interviews conducted

1989-1991: Communism crashes
in all of Europe

The media changes, too. From
this…
Izvestia daily, 1991.

…to this.
Izvestia daily, 2007.

- Advertising
- Digitization
- Consumer demand
- Audience measurement …
Were assimilated in less than 10 years.
A publishing fair in Russia.

What about the internet?

Some media people got creative
B92.fm, Belgrade: Last.fm with news.

h.ua, Kiev: Citizen journalism that works.

The list could go on
RIA Novosti’s integrated newsroom.

But these are exceptions
TV is still king.

Online news isn’t taken seriously yet
Why?

1. Media in post-socialist
countries is still about influence
not profit.

Influencial people don’t go online
(they’re old-minded)

2. Financing a project is hell
Don’t even think of an IPO. There are no stock exchanges.

And old habits remain…

3. There’s no advertising market

Advertisements are bought as favors
so that advertisers don’t feel the
power of online advertising.

Now, people do go online.

Some news outlets did
overcome the obstacles.
Hotnews.ro: €600,000 turnover, 50 journalists.

And scooped the whole market.
B92.net owns 80% of the online ad market.

What’s next?
Online will develop fast
But the market isn’t ready
Media professional need to act now

Get the full report
on print
online