Should news give way for views?

September 26, 2016 12:19 am | Updated November 01, 2016 08:54 pm IST

What is the ideal balance between news and opinion in the digital era?

I invite readers to actively take part in the consultation I am holding on what the ideal content mix for a newspaper should be in the present digital information ecology which seems to be breaking news by the second. There was an in-house suggestion that I find out readers’ expectations on how they would like the newspaper to balance news with views, opinion, and analysis. The idea of a deadline is no longer associated with putting the paper to bed; it is about publishing developments as they unfold.

In the age of instant news, it seems that a lot of information that one reads in the newspaper in the morning has already been read, seen, or heard elsewhere. While conceding space for some news stories that require verification and fact-checking, I was asked whether it is possible to do a clinical analysis of the daily copy, keeping in view the readers’ requirements, and find out what was redundant. If this is indeed possible, would it be beneficial to skew more towards views than news in the daily newspaper? This query comes from a position where news is almost omnipresent and hence context is the new requirement.

A daunting exercise

I recognise that this exercise is daunting in more than one sense. First, I have my own idea about what constitutes a newspaper, an idea which is a product of being in the profession for more than three decades. Second, the views of the readers we have received in the last four years are like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, and I need time to collate them in a meaningful narrative to understand the expectations on the content mix. Third, I need to develop tools to handle this analysis. Fourth, it has to be a judicious mix of both qualitative and quantitative attributes for three specific reasons: a newspaper is a public good; it should, at any point of time, balance what the public is interested in with what is in their interest; and it should be sustainable in order to retain its independence. Fifth, a person making any suggestion should realise the newspaper’s need to retain space both for innovation as well as for elements that are tried and tested. Sixth, the exercise should inform about some innovations that have failed. Seventh, it should also draw from the experiences of others in dealing with this challenge that confronts every media organisation. And eighth, I need to develop better listening skills to decipher the expectations of the readers.

I am acutely aware that some may term my own idea of journalism and what constitutes a newspaper as an intransigent position. Intransigence is a strange word that means many things to many people depending on which side of the wall they are on: for those who disagree, it is a pejorative, and for those who concur, it is a testimony to adhering to principles. I believe that a responsible media mediates the public sphere in such a way that it remains the site for multiple negotiations and democratic engagement.

In this context, I am seeking responses from the readers about what news they get before they get their newspaper in the morning. May I request the readers to be specific in their observations and refrain from commonsensical comments? Italian scholar Antonio Gramsci has already effectively argued against ‘common sense’, which for him is not a single unique conception, identical in time and space. He has elaborated how common sense takes countless different forms. In this exercise, it would be mutually beneficial if we stick to particulars and elaborate on details.

Spatial and temporal realities In the huge information overload that is generated by 24x7 digital platforms, do readers feel that news is curated for their consumption, or do they feel that it is a mere information pipe that functions like a faucet? As I mentioned a few years ago, The Hindu weaves five different spatial realities for every reader: international, regional, national, local, and hyperlocal. Temporally, it covers both the past and the present and tries to provide hints about the future, with a pre-occupation to make sense of the present. In this interplay between space and time, The Hindu gains gravitas as long as it helps people make choices. It loses its significance if it fails to address any of the issues that concern them.

I would like the readers to share their opinions on which sections they would like to be filled with more news and which sections they believe they get the information much before the newspaper arrives at their doorstep. Do they believe that they can make sense of opinion articles in the absence of news in the newspaper? How comprehensive is the news in The Hindu compared to other platforms?

In our continued efforts to listen to readers, we are hosting our next Open House in November to mark the first anniversary of our Mumbai edition. The Mumbai meet should provide an added opportunity to listen to readers in person on this rather contentious idea. I hope to complete this analysis and share it with readers in the last couple of weeks of this year.

readerseditor@thehindu.co.in

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.