All I want for Christmas is a newspaper that publishes itself … but I’d settle for being able to publish the one I’ve got to mobiles. If any of that seems like a cross between a New Year resolution and holiday dreaming, Ifra has news for you. Two two new reports in its Flashlight series cover both developments in mobile web and printcasting. At the same time, two new Special Reports address the use of video at magazines and newspapers as well as newsroom reorganisation, and a third, focussed on ‘innovative advertising’ is due shortly. The year-end flood of research findings also includes two more ‘Where NEWS?’ reports – ‘The Future of Newspaper Printing Technology’ and ‘Scenarios of Media Use in Europe and North America in 2017’. The Flashlight publications set an ambitious agenda: ‘Mobile Web – Putting the web in your readers’ pockets’ looks at the issues faced by web designers and content providers in reaching an audience on the go. The evolution of mobile phones has seen them go from simple communication devices to must-have personal assistants and entertainment centres. Putting the web in your pocket has been the dream for more than a decade, yet it is only now we are seeing an explosion in mobile web use. ‘Printcasting – New project boosts niche publishing prospects’ is based on the premises from an October feature in the Ifra Magazine: “How would you like a means of exploring ultra local news and (very) niche publishing markets without having to invest significant time, resources, or money? “What if you could then automate that process so that generating copy, aggregating content, publishing, and distribution all simply took care of themselves? If advertisers could be left to place their own ads and the content providers got an equitable share of the profits? All automatically. “And what if the end result was either online or hard copy just as the target market wants?” That’s the premise of Printcasting, a technology aimed at bridging the online/offline divide, exploring new publishing sectors, and turning an honest buck in the process. The new Ifra Special Reports include ‘Newspapers go video – options and opportunities’ And ‘The changing newsroom III: Principles and guidelines for managing change’. The third report, ‘Innovative Advertising’ looks at ways newspapers can offer customers more than advertising spaces, often with the aid of modern production technology and based on a customer-oriented communication strategy. Details about the reports are available on the www.ifra.com website or from Ulrike Leis-Kolb email leiskolb@ifra.com.