Jiji Press is a leading Japanese news agency founded in 1945. Known for its comprehensive coverage and extensive network, it provides up-to-the-minute news and analysis on domestic and international affairs to subscribers worldwide in both Japanese and English language. It previously operated its own mobile app but ultimately discontinued it due to low profitability and high maintenance costs. However, the digital media landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. While smartphones have become the dominant medium for news consumption, the time spent on news has decreased. In an environment shaped by the rise of news aggregators and advertising-based monetization models, competition has grown increasingly intense. Under these circumstances, retaining readers solely through websites has become increasingly difficult. Recognizing these challenges, Jiji Press decided to broaden and diversify its audience reach, taking on the challenge of developing a mobile app once again.

From past experience, the company had concerns about the risks of outsourcing app development from scratch. This led them to focus on a Google's support program utilizing the Flutter News Toolkit (FNT). The primary reason for choosing FNT was its significant cost advantages. Conventional app development often involves heavy initial costs, often reaching millions of Japanese yen just for the starting phase. However, this program allowed Jiji Press to reduce upfront expenses to nearly zero. Furthermore, Flutter, the technological foundation of FNT, enabled efficient cross-platform development for both iOS and Android. Typically, creating apps for both platforms involves costs that are 1.5 times higher, but this approach reduced costs by approximately 25%, allowing for faster development. For Jiji Press, FNT provided the necessary support to reattempt app development.

Initially, Jiji Press estimated that it would take at least a year to release the app. However, the app was completed in roughly one-third of that time, a testament to the efficiency of FNT’s development environment. In addition, pre-configured FNT templates allowed Jiji to effectively conduct A/B tests to improve UI/UX leveraging Firebase. This rapid development achieved both cost savings and a speedy release. Nevertheless, the process was not without challenges. As a news agency, Jiji Press employs a distribution style where articles are updated in response to ongoing developments, requiring a custom design built from scratch. Additionally, addressing the visual limitations of economic news and selecting appropriate Japanese fonts involved considerable trial and error, ultimately enhancing their design skills and flexibility.

While current app downloads are still building momentum, the cost-effective operating model, with its reduced upfront and running expenses, has provided a strong foundation for growth. This app represents a “new way to deliver news” for Jiji Press and serves as a “seed” for future growth. Moving forward, the company plans to strengthen promotions using its own media channels and redirect traffic from its website to the app. Through enhanced promotion efforts and implementing advertising functionalities, there is potential for improved revenue and a broader readership.　　

Leveraging apps significantly expands the potential of media business. In the face of declining news consumption, news media, like Jiji Press, urgently need to prioritise building a strong foundation to increase profitability.

Looking ahead, Jiji Press aims to adapt to the evolving times, expand its connection with readers, and create a sustainable future for media.

A detailed playbook guiding News Publishers on how to leverage Flutter News Toolkit (FNT) to build a newspaper app is available here: https://anymindgroup.com/news/press-release/gni-fourm-202408

(The use of FNT in this case is just one example, and the cost, process, and development period of app development vary depending on the project.)