"The present work considers the many possible uses of information technologies from the viewpoint of newspapers, with particular reference to small- and medium-sized papers in Asia and the Pacific. Despite, and perhaps even because of, the special challenges faced by this region, due for example to its vast cultural and economic diversity and its multitude of languages based on non-Roman scripts, it is hoped that the work will also be of interest to newspaper and allied media professionals in other developing regions." (Preface, p.6) "It is in the context of promoting a pluralistic press facilitated by technological advances that UNESCO, within its communication programme, General Information Programme and Intergovernmental Informatics Programme, provided support to an Asia-Pacific Regional Seminar on Information Technology for Newspaper Publishing in Madras, India, from 11 to 14 April 1995. The seminar was co-organized by the Ranganathan Centre for Information Studies (RCIS), the Research Institute for Newspaper Development (RIND) and a major Indian newspaper, The Hindu. At the seminar, some thirty participants from thirteen Asian and Pacific countries and several concerned regional and international organizations proposed ways in which newspapers of all sizes (but particularly small and medium-sized ones) might use information technology to improve their quality of coverage and efficiency and income, as well as the working conditions of their personnel. Technological advances were at the centre of discussion, notably techniques for work-flow enhancement and the computerized manipulation of Asian scripts. The Internet – the global network of computer networks – also raised interest as a cost-efficient way of gathering, verifying and disseminating information. (The complete seminar proceedings, including recommendations for regional co-operation, are available from UNESCO’s Communication Division.) This multi-author book, based on the resource papers commissioned by UNESCO for the above seminar, in different styles but with a cohesive approach, is directed towards editors, journalists, managers and publishers of newspapers in developing countries, and particularly in the Asia and Pacific region, who do not necessarily have experience with computers. It presents the state-of-the-art, tendencies, problems and recommended solutions concerning the application of information technologies in newspaper work." (Introduction, p.14)