WSJ launches Indian edition online; print may follow

Amid deepening gloom in the print media, the global business paper Wall Street Journal has firmly turned its eyes eastward. The Dow Jones-owned publication on Monday announced the expansion of its online offerings in Asia and Europe, including a regional home page for India. For this, it will expand its news teams in Hong Kong, London and New Delhi.

The development comes days after WSJ said it would trim about two dozen newsroom jobs, cutting its reporting and editing staff through layoffs, buyouts and by eliminating job positions.

News Corp, the unit of Dow Jones & Co that runs the Journal, says the expanded Asian and European sites will offer easier navigation, more local multimedia features such as video, regional market data centres, and Weekend Journal pages dedicated to lifestyle, among other enhancements.

A new section, called India Journal, will have guest columnists and staff reporters across South Asia who will write about issues related to the Indian economy. A new feature called Heard on the Street is also being introduced, which will relate to Indian companies and markets.

As advertising dries up and many well-known publications find themselves on shaky financial ground, they are increasingly turning to online editions, which are far cheaper to produce. For example, The Washington Post and Trulia, Inc have just announced a partnership to create the 'essential guide to real estate' in the DC region, with a co-branded website that combines Trulia's award winning real estate search engine with the Post's local real estate content.

Virtually all the famous international newspapers are burning – the iconic Chicago Tribune, which owns seven newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, is on the verge of bankruptcy, and has sacked thousands of staff.

London's Evening Standard has recently been sold to a Russian billionaire, and other iconic publications from Fleet Street like the Times and The Guardian are also on a cost-cutting spree.

The 'WSJ.com Mobile Reader' is already available in Europe and Asia. It routes news from WSJ.com, MarketWatch.com, Barrons.com and AllThingsD.com with specific regional tabs to Blackberry phones. Languages available include simplified and traditional Chinese. WSJ.com had a major redesign in September 2008, and its Chinese-language site followed suit three months later.

The company plans to promote the launch of the Indian website through print ads, e-mail and online advertising. It also plans to tie up with airlines and credit card companies for cross-promotions. Dow Jones is also working towards the launch of a facsimile edition of the print edition of The Wall Street Journal in India.

"The two fundamental trends of our age – globalisation and digitisation – have created an extraordinary opportunity for people around the world to access the world's most trusted and insightful journalism," said Robert Thomson, editor-in-chief, Dow Jones and Co, and managing editor of WSJ.

Christine Brendle, publisher, The WSJ Asia and managing director in Asia of Dow Jones Consumer Media Group, said, "The launch of asia.WSJ.com significantly extends our reach in Asia and better serves the interests of readers and users of our print and digital offerings."

WSJ already has a presence in India through its tie up with the HT Media-owned Mint business newspaper. News Corp says the Indian online edition of WSJ is a separate venture of Dow Jones in India and will have no association with LiveMint.com, the online version of HT's business paper, Mint.