Apr 22, 2007 11:31 PM
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*(Note: My review is a bit long. but do read it in full to get an inkling of the rot that has set in).
Just when people had written off any kind of alliance or tie up between the Times Group & Mid Day, we get to hear this!
Ravi Dhariwal, Executive Director of Bennett Coleman, and Tariq Ansari, Managing Director of MiD DAY Multimedia, made the following joint statement in Mumbai: ‘The Times of India, with its leadership position in the morning broadsheet market and MiD DAY, with a successful formula for the middle-of-the day, are in fact complementary players. With this alliance we will endeavour to garner a larger market share of both readers and advertising in major metros of the country’.
For the complete story, check out this link:
https://mid-day.com/news/city/2006/december/148260.htm
Exhibit 19 on https://mediaha.blogspot.com/ posted on March 01, 2005 had fuelled rumours that the Times Group might up its stake in Mid Day. With the kind of financial powerhouse that the Times is - I guess, this too isn't much far away.
*Scroll down a bit more - Exhibit number 11 on mediaha says:
Exhibit Eleven
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Apology
This refers to the item ‘Times to tie up with Reuters for news. Name and last-minute hiccup over Sunil Lulla appt to be resolved’ that appeared on Mediaah! on Thursday, February 10, 2005.We have received a legal notice from Mr Rajnish M Singh, Advocate, on behalf of his client, Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd, saying that the item harmed the reputation and goodwill of his client. That was not the intent of the news item and not the intent of Mediaah!In his letter, Mr Singh has also said that the item is totally baseless and has no substance or truth in it.While Mediaah! would stand by the information published, Mediaah! apologises to Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd and has deleted the above mentioned item with immediate effect.
And I was thinking'Times Now' is a tie up between Times & Reuters(sic).
The mission statement of the Times Group reads, "We are in the business of aggregating and delivering customers to our advertisers." I keep getting this feeling that strategic or non-strategic, commercialisation and profit-making are gaining credence over everything else within the media domain. So, what do we expect next? I guess this:
*Exhibit Three
*Thursday, January 01, 2004
Shocker! Times to allow advertising on edit page and sell Medianet Buoyed by the response the main edit page article on Aventis that The Times of India carried earlier this year, the newspaper has taken a dramatic decision of allowing advertising on its edit page as well as allowing Medianet to get active with some of the content on the page.
*Can it get any murkier? I felt we should now expect the Gen-Next of Advertorials - any guesses?
Just when I was wondering.the news came along today. Recently, .Mid Day organised an orientation seminar for its employees . and expectedly. the presentation was given by a representative from The Times Group.
All the reporters, editors. were . to focus all their news gathring and editing abilities on gettingYUMPI news features. i.e., Young Urban Mobile Professional across India. This is their target audience. the ones with the highest disposable income level.
When one of the reporters enquired whether all stories had to be focussed around this one concept. the answer was. Yes! Tailor all your stories to fit into this segment. only 200 word stories. What if the story isn't based on this perspective.then either reshape it to fit into this slot or. dump it.
You might say. this is simply a good marketing strategy by a business house. after all they are running a business. I agree. In fact, it actually is a shrewd marketing strategy. but the only thing that pains me is that. why . why. why all this in the name of Journalism?
A senior Journalist has aptly described what TOI(and now MID DAY) are doing . as "sheer prostitution of Journalism" . and its a sad moment for all present and future Journalists. Dare I say "Journalism is dead. Long live PR(Journalism)"?
As an after thought. was just wondering. can it get any more worse.?*
