PRINT: SET FOR AN APRIL REVIVAL DESPITE IMPACTED CIRCULATION
Halt of printing due to lockdown has revenue implications, but print players hope new financial year will bring new advertising budgets With ‘janta curfew’ in the country on March 22, newspaper distribution in Mumbai and surrounding areas was suspended citing safety concerns of delivery vendors in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Even as newspapers were printed in other parts of the country, vendors were not picking up the papers as delivery boys were barred in housing society premises over safety issues. Publishers have been saying that newspapers are safe and not carriers of the virus. In fact, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has issued a directive to all States and Union Territories to ensure operational continuity of Print and electronic media in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak and newspapers are set to resume printing and regular circulation from April 1. Newspapers are safe Magazines not printing
Meanwhile, newspapers and tabloids ranging from Mid-Day to the Indian Express are aggressively sending out links to their e-paper or issue PDFs.
Mumbai’s newspaper vendors’ union, the Brihanmumbai Vruttapatra Vikreta Sangh (BVVS) agreed with newspaper houses that distribution of newspapers in Mumbai and suburban areas will start from April 1. The signed understanding also reportedly states that the publishers will not only provide sanitisers and masks to the vendors but will also bear the expense of treatment if any of the delivery persons gets infected with coronavirus.
In the current situation, newspapers need to stand up to their role of being a mouthpiece of safety, health and hygiene. All major publications have been issuing such content on safety and hygiene along with maintaining safety protocols of their processes and staff members.
“We are facing slow growth in the business but the existing campaigns of the clients are still ongoing and we are certain large business houses will come up with many more campaigns once the situation is under control. The market will certainly experience growth as the new financial year will begin with new advertising budgets to roll in the market,” adds Kumar.
All major magazines have halted their print issues for the time being and are uploading their e-copies over the Internet. Sportstar, the fortnightly sports magazine published by The Hindu Group, has put on hold its Print issue for the first time in nearly 43 years. Outlook has decided to suspend the immediate issue of the magazines. “But we continue to publish the PDF edition of each of our titles as per the schedule dates. Physical distribution is impossible in the current context therefore the tough decision to drop the issues. FY 20-21 will be a very tough year. Media organisations will take tough calls. We will take more informed decisions in the next few weeks,” Indranil Roy, CEO, Outlook Group says.
Tags : Dipali Banka Raj Jain Times of India Kaacon Sethi Mathrubhumi Shreyams Kumar The Hindu Outlook Group