• 
• 

Published on February 29, 2008

The Nation will be published in a new segmented format consisting of two main broadsheet sectors: business and political information. However, the core content will be business-related.

"We're shifting the core content from general and political news to business news, because current politics is, for many people, a boring issue," said The Nation's president, Pana Janviroj. "We believe our readers will understand our transformation."

The Nation targets readers aged 40 and above who are eager to read about economics and investment or learn from analytical pieces. In its new form, The Nation will have more space for analysis.

Pana said The Nation's subscribers would read the paper in the morning for its focus on business issues with immediate impact, so they could plan their working lives. Later, they will be able to enjoy the Daily Xpress free sheet and its focus on leisure activities.

Pana admitted the newspaper's previous content seemed unorganised. However, the transformation will emphasise a clear concentration on business issues, especially financial and investment news, and the quality of the content will be sharper than before.

"Even though we're transforming our content to be like other business newspapers, we'll be offering more international news than others," he said.

Pana said that as well as boosting The Nation's financial performance and expanding its reader base, the company planned to be a leader in Thai media development.

Driving The Nation's transformation are changes in the ways people consume news, he said. Half of the world's newspapers now come in compact size, and half are free sheets.

"We can say media innovation is the heart of the free sheet," he said, adding that the growth of English-language newspapers in Thailand was limited, because there were only two players. And while the consumption of news is unlimited, most choose to get it from the Internet and television. These have been the influences behind The Nation's transformation, Pana said.

He said the Daily Xpress free sheet would target the younger generation, aged "plus or minus 30". Its core content, therefore, will involve lifestyles. While it will aim at providing digestible news to Thais, the free sheet will also serve "Netizens" who want information free of charge.

While The Nation will be published Monday to Saturday, the Daily Xpress, with 100,000 daily copies, will be printed every day. Thirty per cent of the free copies will be set aside for subscribers, while 20 per cent will be sent to condominiums and 50 per cent to office buildings, hospitals, coffee shops and other places where people gather.

Tomorrow: What the new 'Nation' has on offer.

Sucheera Pinijparakarn

The Nation