The ‘refreshed’ version of The Hindu has been welcomed by readers in and around Kozhikode. At a gathering of readers on Tuesday, organised in connection with the relaunch of The Hindu, the reader friendliness and classical look of the newspaper were much appreciated.
Former MP and Mayor of Kozhikode A.K. Premajam said she considered The Hindu one of her four teachers whom she held in high regard. A reader of The Hindu for the last 50 years, she said the newspaper had played a major role in shaping her career and making her what she was. “ The Hindu stays away from sensationalism, and that’s what I like most about it,” she said.
“We check what The Hindu says when a controversial issue comes up,” said Mayor Thottathil Raveendran, adding that it was necessary for the media to change with the times.
Sporting legend P.T. Usha recalled how The Hindu had helped her career and appreciated its increased focus on sports. Calicut Airport Director K. Janardhanan urged the newspaper not to cut down on content.
Media critic Yasin Ashraf said the new design was easy on the eye and the the language was simpler. Malabar Chamber of Commerce secretary Nityanand Kamath said youngsters would accept the redesigned newspaper. Pain and Palliative Movement founder K. Suresh Kumar said the newspaper had become more visually appealing.
The guests appreciated the difference in The Hindu ’s editorial and news policy, while some appreciated its online content. A few suggestions to improve content also came up during the discussion.
“We had once tried to stop subscription of The Hindu as part of our cost cutting measures, but we had to renew it soon as our guests demanded it,” said Rajesh Nambiar, general manager of Marina Residency.
Sports medicine expert and orthopaedic surgeon Schiller Jos appreciated the accuracy in The Hindu ’s reportage. “No other paper covers sports, arts and environment the way The Hindu does,” he said.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary P.M. Suresh Babu, Director General of Police (North Kerala) Rajesh Dewan, Airport Employees’ Union leader Rajesh Aravind, District Information Officer K.T. Sekharan, political commentator N.P. Chekkutty, District Medical Officer (in-charge) S.N. Ravikumar, Usha School of Athletics co-founder V. Srinivasan, and Bharathanatyam dancer Aswathy Srikanth were among the guests.
Earlier, The Hindu ’s staffers explained the changes the newspaper had made in design and content.
