The Rise and Fall of Godman Nirmal Baba: Role of Electronic Media Vs Newspapers & Websites

Print Vs Electronic: One media Patronises, other Exposes

The meteoric rise of self-styled spiritual guru Nirmal Baba was seen with awe across the country.

Initially it was thought that he was just another new 'saint' on the block.

But, over a couple of months, his 'darbar' became quite popular. When the Baba's photograph started selling in shops and even on streets, people realised that he had also arrived and was to stay.

The live telecast on channels suggested that the programmes were sponsored. However, in a country where there is no dearth of believers, his 'simply and instant' solutions, like wearing a black bead or carrying a brown wallet, attracted viewers.

A person would tell his problem and the Baba would tell him, 'Feed the particular animal' or 'Buy jalebis and share it with entire family'. You might feel intrigued but people were not enjoying it, a huge audience had built up, that was watching these half-hour long durbars which were shown on several TV channels.

The legend of Nirmal Baba was growing, courtesy, News Channels. Media was a silent, proactive partner, and the empire was expanding fast. Baba is right that he had to get money because channels charged him for the air space. If Baba spread superstition, channels are surely to be blamed.

Suddenly, Baba's word seem to be crashing. Once a newspaper published a report, others took charge. A website began a series of articles running into nearly 50 parts. Other publications also targeted Baba. It seemed, rationalism was again the buzzword. Huh.

So one form of media was minting money, making itself available to be exploited. The print media, that didn't get advertisements, can claim to be responsible for 'exposing' the Godman.

To be fair, newspapers still have much more credibility, than TV channels, and this episode again shows why print is needed, even more, in this era. Though there is heat on Nirmaljeet Singh Narula alias Nirmal Baba, it is still early to count him out. Let's see how TV channels resist their love for moolah.

Read more...

Jagran Juggernaut: Dainik Jagran's plan to buy Nai Dunia creates stir in Hindi news media, hits Bhaskar

Dainik Jagran group's plan to buy daily Nai Dunia is giving jitters to Dainik Bhaskar, a clear leader in Central India.

It is Jagran's masterstroke for more than one reasons. Firstly, Jagran had hardly any presence in Central India. Its editions at Bhopal and Rewa didn't have much credibility. Jagran's Bhopal edition though old is now fifth or sixth in terms of circulation after Bhaskar, Patrika, Raj Express and Peoples' Samachar among others.

Jagran in MP is mostly read by the lower-middle class or at tea stalls where its weekly crime tabloid Satyakatha that appears on Tuesday is eagerly awaited. It is rarely subscribed at homes because of the nature of Satyakatha that has sex, sleaze and photos of semi-clad women.

Nai Dunia has credibility, reach in MP-Chhattisgarh

Secondly. Though Nai Dunia is also a sinking ship, in its new avatar it gained circulation in Bhopal. Its new editions in Chhattisgarh are doing well. Nai Dunia and its Bhopal-version Nav Duniya have credibility and also loyal readers in Malwa region around Indore.

With Nai Dunia, Jagran will need a established newspaper in entire Central India ie. MP and Chhattisgarh. Jagran is already strong in North India. In UP, Bhaskar is yet to make a move and the family with which Agarwals are in a titular suit are publishing just Jhansi edition from that state.

Fearing worst Bhaskar opened new editions and also under different brand name 'Divya Bhaskar', as in case of losing the case, the name can be changed to more known title that would not sound too different to the reader. It started DB star daily tabloid to push it brand.

So Dainik Bhaskar can be identified as DB Group. Despite all its efforts, Bhaskar is yet to become India's leading newspaper. Though lead was thin, Jagran was the leader. Now with Jagran group gaining established paper in MP-CG that has editions in Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Raipur, Bilaspur and other cities, it can give a run to Bhaskar as far as national reach is concerned.

Bouquet of English, Hindi and Urdu papers

Thirdly. For advertisers, Jagran will be a good option now. Jagran has also acquired English newspaper Mid Day, a strong Urdu newspaper Inquilab that now has nearly 12 editions in the country including Lucknow, Mumbai, Delhi, Moradabad, Aligarh and Kanpur.

Jagran is thus making the right moves. Guptas seem to have finally realised that Bhaskar was growing too fast and had to be tamed. With Nai Dunia, Inquilab, Mid Day, the group is now going from strength to strength.

Will Bhaskar remain silent? They have made forays in Gujarat and Maharashtra. But Gujrati and Marathi papers are still considered regional. Unlike English, Hindi or Urdu papers that have national character. Let's wait for Bhaskar's strategy as to

Read more...

Ambani 'virtually' owns 27 TV channels in India: Are you worried about Indian media now?

Growth is Great but Monopoly worrying...

If Mukesh Ambani's RIL has majority stake in 27 TV channels in India, does that worry you about the state of electronic media in the country?

Worrying part comes later. First question is that did you have any idea about that. Secondly, can you figure out the amount of influence on Indian journalism, this can have?

Forget thinking about stories or such news reports that may hurt this huge business empire, just think of the impart of the sort of monopoly on media and its implications in future.

Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) recently bought shares in Infotel, a TV consortium that controls 27 TV news and entertainment channels in almost every regional language.

This single sentence buried in a paragraph in Arundhati Roy's article, tells you a lot. Yes, Outlook can still publish her. Tehelka may do it as well and of course, the foreign publication Guardian. But where else you are going to read such a report? Mukesh's monstrous sky-scraper Antilla or his stakes in oil, gas, petrochemicals, telecom are all too well-known.

But in a country where free media has kept the democracy afloat, the monopoly over media is something that we should seriously ponder over. Media h as the power to make or break an agitation. It has the strength to bring a government on its knees and make it fall as well.

Didn't we see in the Anna Hazare agitation. Mukesh Ambani has taken his father Dhirubhai Ambani's business forward. Sorry, we are not jealous of him. Mukesh's prosperity and growth in business empire show the robustness of Indian economy and its global march.

As patriotic citizens, we do love Indian businessmen acquiring groups abroad, inking huge financial deals, their clout and influence increasing. But there is a difference when it comes to monopoly. In any sector, it is important. More critical when it comes to media.

Even if you don't love Arundhati, you must understand that it is she who can say it and it still gets published. But yes, if he has stake in 27 channels, it does worry me as a media man. And he virtually owns it as the Outlook article says.

It may or may not worry you. But probably you should know it. I hope you got it, readers.

Read more...

Will The Hindu's aggressive advertising campaign against rival newspaper succeed!

Ads are catching imagination but can they raise circulation!

For years The Hindu remained a respectable newspaper in North with a limited circulation.

Its reputation was mostly for its traditional style of journalism and restrained reporting in terms of Bollywood, celebrity gossip and trivia.

It continued to be a dominant paper in South India. But its Delhi edition couldn't pick up. Hindustan Times, Times of India (TOI), Indian Express remained the top newspapers though Express' circulation has been falling over the years and has drastically decreased in last two decades.

Now 'The Hindu' suddenly seems to have woken up from its slumber. The aggressive ad campaign cleverly shows that readers of The Hindu are more aware about the world than the rival's, who are more aware about Bollywood and love affairs than real issues or political affairs.

The ad shown on TV channels also suggests that people reading a particular paper are morons who know only about Hrithik Roshan's name Duggu with which he is addressed at home and Page 3 parties but have no real general knowledge.

The lip movement shows little for imagination when they are asked which paper these morons read. Clearly the rival would not be too happy. But does Hindu has a plan to take on TOI or even HT. It has no presence in Mumbai or Kolkata.

Unless it has a long-term plan, in terms of editorial revamp, it can't change the habit of newspaper readers. Times of India might have focused excessively on P3 culture. But as far as quality of journalism is considered, only the real morons would take the campaign seriously.

TOI and The Indian Express are also known for doing wonder journalism in terms of breaking stories. The Hindu rarely published a national story that is either revealing or that can shake the entire nation (or has wider public interest). The South-based Hindu mostly reports official functions, drab events and dull press releases.

Either it is the story of police framing innocents or story of army personnel getting medals by killing civilians who were termed militants are rare to be seen in The Hindu. It might run an advertising campaign that targets TOI but the paper will only get visible if it takes anti-establishment journalism seriously.

Though considered a pro-left newspaper, it never pursued stories on Gujarat carnage or the anti-Christian violence in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Its reporting on terrorism were also flawed as police versions were given in case of Ajmer, Malegaon and Mecca Masjid Hyderabad blasts, that later turned out to be the handiwork of right-wing groups.

Not publishing trivia is fine. But what is more important is that newspapers should practice journalism sincerely. Papers that publish scams and real hard stories get noticed immediately. To survive and thrive, The Hindu needs to do much more in terms of good journalism, stings, stories exposing the corrupt, before it can fight the war with either of the big papers. Of course, the ads are fun.

Read more...