News International‘s marketing chief Katie Vanneck-Smith has been confirmed as the final speaker for Beyond the Paywall – a free event being organised by City University and Press Gazette on Monday, 9 May.
She joins Evening Standard editor Geordie Greig, Guardian media editor Dan Sabbagh and Future Plc chief executive Stevie Spring on a panel which will discuss how quality journalism can be funded in a mainly digital media world.
Vanneck-Smith is one of the leading executives behind the strategy which a year ago saw The Times and Sunday Times go behind paywalls online. She will explain why she thinks the move is working and how it could pave the way for a sustainable future for quality journalism.
Sabbagh is well placed to give an overview of the journalism industry and to talk about the Guardian’s open and free-to-air online approach.
Greig will explain how the Evening Standard has gone from being a loss-making paid-for newspaper to a free one which is on the verge of break-even. He will also talk about how the Standard’s free strategy has not stopped it continuing to invest in quality journalism such as its award-winning Dispossessed campaign highlighting the plight of London’s poor.
Spring will talk about how she has taken specialist magazine publisher Future from heavy losses to consistent profitability with a strategy which has seen the publisher launch a wide range of apps and partner websites.
Beyond the Paywall starts at 7pm. Attendees are invited to start taking their seats in the Oliver Thompson Lecture Theatre at City University’s Northampton Square campus in London from 6.30pm.
Click here to confirm your free place at Beyond the Paywall
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