It is true that newspaper industry is facing challenges in current “ breaking news syndrome” and under pressure from many segments. Fortunately, pressure is not economical but creative. Necessity is the mother of invention: elbowing from electronic media, new models and new markets are now found for print media.
Last year in Delhi, three major media groups has launched their newspaper in a tabloid form and soon they joined the bandwagon. Not only in Delhi but from 2005 to 2006, nearly 2100 newspapers debuted in India, joining 60000 circulating. It is a general impression that in the era of lightening speed news services, newspapers are surely an endangered species in many parts of the world. The ground fact is more cruel. In most of the developed nations, newspapers are fighting a lost battle with the online news sources and unfortunately in most parts it surrendering to it.
In India scenario is far better. Newspapers still hold majority of market share because of less cognizance about new age media among general public. Although there are countless news channels promptly giving latest news with exciting(sometimes derogatory) visuals but Indian newspaper industry is still growing strong comparative to electronic media. The basic reason of the public faith towards conventional media because of the reader retention to a particular story. Electronic media today just playing the “ who done it first” game with each other, as a result they gradually loosing their credential.
With a booming economy and expanding middle class, Indian economy have fired an explosion in consumer spending and advertising. Advertisers now generously put money in print media as well. Despite of much hoo ha about India’s reputation as an information technology powerhouse, Internet penetration in middle class household remains marginal. Even in the major metros like Kolkata, Delhi, and Mumbai, only a silver of the population can afford to have high speed Internet access in their home. Moreover, a vicious price war several years ago put newspapers prices in newsstands not more than 3 rupees a copy.
In spite of all the optimistic data about newspaper industry in India, there is no doubt that conventional newspapers are gravely jeopardized by fast mushrooming new media services like e-paper, mobile news alerts and DTH television. Adding insult to the injury, blogging, an unedited platform coming in vogue, has to be seen as an embryonic threat to already saturated newspaper industry. There are researchers everywhere searching new innovations to increase their brand equity. Newspaper stalwarts searching value suggestions in the newspaper business, they are finding new methods to reorient their business to gain audience, to strengthen their brand and captivate new grosses.
The International Newspaper Marketing Association (INMA) have prescribed some suggestions for South Asia market. They stresses on disengaging the value within the newspaper and follow the trend in the global newspaper industry that are relevant to India. They stresses on building brand and strategic growth of readership. INMA is all about business and strengthen the fourth estate by practising innovative techniques in the newspaper industry.
Creativity is a perpetual task and newspapers today also innovating themselves in new packages. The new innovations in newspaper industry have turning it into multi billion business. The competition is always good for any industry. The new media isn’t demolishing newspapers but actually enlivening them and making them more valuable.
1 comment:
Completely agree Shubhajit, infact I think Electronic media has lost all its creativity these days. And “ who done it first” game, I suppose is degrading its reputation. They are only interested in making the story hot and spicy. Their only motive is to make gain irrespective of how they do it either by hook or crook.
And yes sure-short newspaper and radio will definitely come in the years to come.
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