• by Erik Sass , May 29, 2009

The MediaNews Group is launching a new "individuated" news product in the Denver area, according to Peter Vandevanter, who revealed the plans at the World Association of Newspapers "Power of Print" conference.

The "individuated news," or I-News, is essentially a newspaper containing fewer pages than the regular edition, with stories and advertising carefully chosen for their relevance to the particular reader.

The newspaper is delivered in digital format to subscribers, who can then view it on a mobile device or print it out on a home printer installed by MediaNews. MediaNews hopes the new, highly targeted product -- which is personalized according to demographic and other information volunteered by the subscriber -- will appeal to advertisers that are accustomed to more precise ad delivery with the advent of the Internet.

In April, MediaNews tested a prototype version of the I-news product, which was delivered to long-term hotel guests in Denver. MediaNews plans to install printers in 25 households and 60 hotel rooms in Denver in June, followed by 300 households in Los Angeles.

The system is unusual because in addition to a subscription fee, subscribers must buy a separate printer solely for I-news, which is installed in each household or hotel room that opts to receive it.

The printer is sold at a discount, but skeptics have questioned the scalability and appeal of the system. It's unclear why consumers would pay to install a new device (with limited applications) and then pay to print their news when it is available for free online.