This document summarizes Fairfax Media's digital transformation journey from print-centric to digital-centric. It discusses how Fairfax embraced digital technologies over time, from competence to literacy to full transformation. The summary describes Fairfax's history with print publications and how it expanded into digital platforms like websites, apps and mobile offerings. It also outlines some of the lessons learned during Fairfax's transformation process, such as changing mindsets, being realistic about timelines, avoiding "like for like" approaches, and thinking about products rather than projects. The presentation concludes by emphasizing the importance of digital being at the center of the newsroom and removing silos to fully realize the transformation.

1. News rewired:
Creating the digital newsroom
Paul Flewelling
FAIRFAX MEDIA

2. What’s this session about?
A digital transformation

3. What is a digital transformation?
Digital transformation may be thought as the third
stage of embracing digital technologies:
3
TRANSFORMATION
2
LITERACY
1
COMPETENCE
In a narrower sense, "digital transformation" may
refer to the concept of “going paperless.” Wikipedia

4. Fairfax’s digital transformation
This is the story of a journey in two parts…

5. Part 1: a look in the rearview mirror

6. Part 2: the road ahead

7. FOCUS

8. FOCUS
LEARNING
FROM THE
TRANSFORMATION
SO FAR

9. My role in this transformation

10. A little history…
BLUNDELL BROS
1865 Prints The
Evening Post
E
INDEPENDENT NEWS
1972 Consolidates
resources
WELLINGTON PUBLISHING
1907 Prints The Dominion
D
STUFF.CO.NZ
2000 Goes live
s

11. A little history…
VODAFONE
2003 Partnership
creates mobile offering
2002 Merges Dominion
and Evening Post
INDEPENDENT NEWS
FAIRFAX
2003 Acquires INL’s
80 publications
M.STUFF.CO.NZ
2009 Goes live

12. A little history…
iOS APPS
2010 Go live
ANDROID APPS
2011 Go live
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
2013 MANDATE Where our
journey really begins

13. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
2012 MANDATE Where our
journey really begins

14. Digital transformation
FAIRFAX NEWSPAPERS NZ
iOS APPS ANDROID APPS
M.STUFF.CO.NZ
STUFF.CO.NZ s
FAIRFAX MAGAZINES NZ

15. FAIRFAX NEWSPAPERS NZ

16. Digital transformation
NEWS SYNDICATION
USER GENERATED STORIES
FAIRFAX NEWSPAPERS
AUS
FAIRFAX MAGAZINES NZ
FAIRFAX MAGAZINES AUS
FAIRFAX NEWSPAPERS NZ
iOS APPS ANDROID APPS
M.STUFF.CO.NZ
STUFF.CO.NZ s

17. ACTIVITY: Who reads the news?

18. Transforming to digital-centric
STARTED WITH
PRINT

19. Transforming to digital-centric
PRINT SHARES
DISTRIBUTION &
INFRASTRUCTURE

20. Transforming to digital-centric
DIGITAL PRINT
INTRODUCED
SHARES
DISTRIBUTION &
INFRASTRUCTURE

21. Transforming to digital-centric
PRINTFAIRFAXDIGITAL
TOUCHES
ALL ASPECTS
OF PRINT
BUSINESS
OVER TIME
DIGITAL BECOMES PRIMARY
PUBLISHING PLATFORMDIGITAL FIRST

22. DIGITALPRINT
Transforming to digital-centric
TOUCHES
ALL ASPECTS
OF PRINT
OVER TIME
DIGITAL BECOMES PRIMARY
PUBLISHING PLATFORM
DIGITAL FIRST

23. The printing press

24. The internet changed everything

26. Subject to silo thinking

27. A digital audience using multiple mediums

28. Some vanity metrics
MAY 2014
MAY 2015
0 million 1 million 2 million
0 million 1 million 2 million
1.47 million unique browsers 25.7% increase
1.85 million unique browsers

29. Some more vanity metrics
2,879
Google
2,305
Facebook
1,871
MSN
1,782
Trademe
1,849
Stuff

30. Some more vanity metrics

31. of our
audience
is mobile
50%
Some more vanity metrics

32. Some more vanity metrics
of our
audience
is mobile
50%

33. CREATING THE DIGITAL NEWSROOM
ALIGNED
CONTENT
SIMPLIFY PRINT
PRODUCTION
QUALITY FIRST
TRAINING
DIGITAL FIRST
PROGRAM
Build a modern digital publishing platform
Restructure the newsroom to deliver audience focused content
The two streams of our transformation
CONNECT
DIGITAL WITH
PRINT
FLEXIBLE
PUBLISHING
PLATFORM
MODERN
AUTHORING
TOOLS
UNIFY OUR
DIGITAL CMS
EASILY SYNDICATE
CONTENT ACROSS ALL
PLATFORMS
DELIVERING WORLD-CLASS
CONTENT, DESIGN AND
PRODUCTION

34. Let’s get to the juice

35. LEARNING 1: Change management

38. Learning 2: Be realistic around timelines

39. LEARNING 3: Don’t like for like
2012

40. 2012
LEARNING 3: Don’t like for like
2015

41. LEARNING 4: Release management

42. LEARNING 5a: Project thinking

43. LEARNING 5b: Negotiating

44. LEARNING 5c: Product thinking

45. What next?

46. Digital at the centre of the newsroom

47. Remove the silos

48. Find
alternative
channels

49. Hold the vision
for change
Be realistic around
timelines
Collaborate across
the business
Takeaways
Think product, not
project(s)

50. Thanks for listening…
Your name
Your organisation
Follow me @your twitter
Your pic
Q&A

51. Thanks for listening…
Your name
Your organisation
Follow me @your twitter
Your pic
Thanks for listening…
Paul Flewelling
FAIRFAX MEDIA