I saw this piece about Mumbai's hot-new paper, DNA. It pronounces that the product is not really going to dethrone the Times of India (a claim never made by the challengers in the first place). It is a timely, relevant article based on a panel discussion. And I do believe first impressions matter and expectations were high from the paper. Here is the story.
http://www.exchange4media.com/impact_news.asp?news_id=17260§ion_id=30
But one is reminded of a Mark Twain saying:
Rumours of my death are greatly exaggerated.
DNA, Daily News and Analysis for the uninitiated, has just been launched, defying the monsoon-fed paralysis of Mumbai, against a formidable opposition. Looking back, it took the Telegraph years to dethrone the Statesman in Calcutta (oops, Kolkata) despite the late C.R. Irani (bless his soul!) moving more into real estate than the Fourth Estate. India Today's early issues were decidedly shoddy before it became a powerful, rich magazine.
Methinks early editions give some flavour, but may not be the Real McCoy.
Exchange4media may jump to hasty conclusions, but the Jains, who know how to run a big publishing house, will most likely not!
(I haven't seen DNA yet, so I don't propose to say anything on that now).
3 comments:
Hmmm.. DNA looks like Times redux. Obits already? Desi media jumping the gun, but DNA needs to be different. At least its better than HT Bombay.
Ms. Saran is at DNA. I know you love her beautiful mane enough not to comment but say 'comment allez vous' ;)
DNA is tabloid-news in a daily format (uptil now at least). Can you imagine a newspaper wanting to be taken seriously when it has NO Editorial on the opening day!
HT is much better with a variety of opinions finding space within the edit pages (and though it matters the least, the Finish and packaging are good!).
But I am still an Indian Express fan...the only paper, I suppose, giving investigative journalism a fair try.
- Varun
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