JRC makes shift to new e-edition software

By Marcelo Duran
Associate Editor

The Journal Register Co. launched electronic editions for six of its dailies as the publisher continues its deployment of editorial and online publishing software from alfa Media Solutions Inc.

The six, the West Chester (Pa.) Daily Local, Lansdale (Pa.) Reporter, Trentonian in Trenton, N.J., Pottstown (Pa.) Mercury, the Morning Sun in Mount Pleasant, Mich., and the Phoenix in Phoenixville, Pa., are using alfa’s e-dition software, said Allen Mailman, JRC’s senior vice president of technology.

The group began installing alfa’s OpenMedia editorial apps throughout its newspapers six months ago, comprising more than 800 seats (see Newspapers & Technology, May 2007).

The implementation of e-dition comes as JRC converts electronic editions from free to pay subscription, Mailman said.

“The papers are initially offered as a free product for the first few months and then go to paid subscriptions,” Mailman said. “Half of the papers have transitioned to pay with the others moving (late last month).”]

Moving to pay subscriptions reflects JRC’s plan to increase the number of hybrid subscriptions it reports on the Audit Bureau of Circulations’ semi-annual Fas-Fax report.

Hybrid subscriptions include readers who receive a mix of print and electronic editions as part of their weekly subscriptions (see Newspapers & Technology, July 2007).

Automatic extraction

Mailman said JRC liked the e-dition software because it offers automatic XML extraction and a host of user interface features, such as audio support.

“E-dition has an audio component. You can download stories to an iPod, which makes it much more portable for the reader,” he said. “More importantly, it doesn’t take any administrative oversight since electronic edition creation is automated.”

Transition

Ultimately, JRC plans to transition all of its papers to alfa’s editorial and e-dition software, but the Connecticut papers, which include the flagship New Haven Register, will for the time being remain on Atex.

“Right now the Connecticut cluster is using Atex Prestige editorial and that’s running fine,” Mailman said. “What’s working for them is the shared service environment. The properties in the entire state are running off of one network and database and there is no reason to change that. When its life cycle comes up, then we’ll convert it to alfa.”

The other papers will make the shift to alfa software either later this year or in early 2009, Mailman said.

Changing times

Journal Register Co. papers using alfa Media e-dition software:

•West Chester (Pa.) Daily Local
•Lansdale (Pa.) Reporter
•The Trentonian in Trenton, N.J.
•The Pottstown (Pa.) Mercury
•The Morning Sun in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
•The Phoenix in Phoenixville, Pa.

JRC papers using Olive Software
•The Oakland Press in Pontiac, Mich.
•The Macomb Daily in Mount Clements, Mich.
•The New Haven (Conn.) Register

Future alfa e-dition conversions:
•The Royal Oak (Mich.) Tribune (January 2008)
•The Macomb (Mich.) Daily (January 2008)

Source: JRC