Atul Maheshwari, MD, Amar Ujala

The focus of newspapers has changed a great deal from a time when they played a catalytic role in our Freedom Movement. Till even a decade and a half ago, newspapers were essentially the preserve of the intellectuals. But that is not the case anymore. Newspapers today reach out to the common man and therein lies a huge challenge.

I must add that increasing consumerism in society and the growing presence of the electronic medium have necessarily impacted the content plans of newspapers in recent times.

Competing with television is a huge challenge by itself, especially in the context of newsbreaks.

Q. What is Amar Ujala’s content focus?

We are focused on issues in the immediate environment of our readers. Hence, my Shimla edition would be decidedly different from the one for Chandigarh. At the broader level, we take up public issues and issues that impact society.

Q. Would you say that political reporting is not the key content driver anymore?

Readers are no longer so keen on political reporting. Instead, their interest in local affairs is high. Further, it doesn’t surprise me when cricket makes front-page headlines.

Q. But some newspaper readers lament that there is increasing trivialisation of content. What are your views on this?

The content that features in newspapers is in line with what readers expect. And the people who take up the trivialisation factor are those whose views do not find editorial space in newspapers anymore. Typically, in the past certain people managed to air their opinions in newspapers on social issues even though they had limited grassroot reach. And now when they don’t figure in the editorial space they talk about trivialisation of news content.

Q. How do you assess competition? What in your view sets apart Amar Ujala from the other players in the segment? To describe it one word—credibility. Readers are aware of our editorial strengths. Amar Ujala had created a shock-wave by reporting of the possibility of a jailbreak some 18 months before the alleged killers of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh escaped from the Burail Jail in Chandigarh.

Similarly, we took up the cause of Dehra Dun and the civic chaos in the bustling capital city. The High Court at Nainital subsequently passed a historic judgement asking the authorities to review the traffic plan of the city.

In Jammu and HP too we took up public causes. In Jammu, for example, ‘Piyein kya nahaye kaisein lakhon log panu ko tarsey’ was the cry against a very basic problem of water shortages and in a very poignant way this and other such problems were brought to the forefront for a better Jammu.

Readers have thus realised that we are a newspaper that cares and is committed not just to information and knowledge but to improve the quality of life as a responsible citizen.

Q. In trying to be different newspapers have tended to lean on sensationalism, particularly with provocative headlines. What’s your view on this?

We don’t believe in over-sensationalising an issue. Our reporters work hard on their stories and present all dimensions of any given issue. There is no way that we will overplay any issue with such headlines.

To illustrate this, I will go back to November 30, 1990. Following the Babri Masjid demolition, there were reports on police forces opening fire on the kar sevaks. Most newspapers, particularly the ones in Hindi, gave an exaggerated view of the incident whereas Amar Ujala and The Times of India reported that 18 people had died in the incident. Those newspapers that misreported the incident were censured but, of course, we came to be perceived as anti-Hindu and our subscription did fall then. But we stood by our editorial policy.

Again, when the Uttranchal movement began, Mulayam Singh Yadav had launched halla-bol on Amar Ujala. We fought the administrative machinery for a whole year and our people were under scanner and harassed by the party workers. But the repression soon became a public issue and subsequently the tide turned in our favour.

Q. In sticking to the editorial policies, you would have had to handle pressures on the business. How did you walk the tightrope?

Well, the pressure came with the cover price war that broke out in the print media sometime ago. Newspapers have become one of the cheapest commodities available in the market. But this is a temporary phase. However, we were clear that marketing pressures would not affect our editorial content.

Q. What’s your take on FDI in print?

The presence of foreign players would create a competitive environment.

Q. Any plans afoot to launch new print products? None at the moment.

Q. Regional spread—South

30 crore population, one-third of Indian population. Lot more to be done. Readership is leadership. Maybe Haryana, upwards of UP. Invest in Uttranchal. Develop, create, consolidate and move on.

Q. So, have you scaled up your editorial network to take on the electronic medium?

We are very well positioned to meet the new challenges. Our geographical reach and team strength ensure that we are first with the news. We have a vast network of reporters and stringers covering every conceivable place in the region that we cover.

Further, to ensure seamless flow of information, every reporter and stringer is well wired up with our editorial offices. I must say that television can hardly ever reach the remotest corners that our reporters cover.

Q. Are we seeing a situation wherein television meets the information needs of metropolitans and urban India while newspaper reaches out to larger numbers in smaller cities, towns and villages?

Available data does show that reach of electronic players has grown manifold. But the interesting point is that print too has grown along with the expansion of the television medium. So, to that extent, print and television complement each other.

Further, to illustrate the growth of print, take the area of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali. This belt has a 10-12 lakh population and an aggregate newspaper circulation that touches 2.5 lakh. Meaning, one in ten is a newspaper buyer.

I believe this could happen in every other metro and city.

Q. What are the content needs of readers now?

Today, a newspaper has to supplement news with a whole set of information on matters concern their day-to-day lives. There is now a demand for education-related information, which was not the case some years ago. Similarly, readers take keen interest in subjects like health, lifestyle, etc. and hence newspapers bring out the periodical supplements.

Q. NRS 2003 underlined Amar Ujala’s spectacular growth in markets like Jammu and the state of Himachal Pradesh. What were indeed the factors that catalysed this growth?

The focus on local content is no doubt a key driver but we also ensured that the newspaper was available to the readers within a reachable radius. To explain this, we have a network of some 650 newspaper agencies in Himachal alone.

Timing and relevance of content, of course, are our strengths. I would like to add that Amar Ujala’s growth in readership is not only a marketing success but also proof of the acceptance of its superior content. Hence, without adding a single edition, the readership base had grown by 34 per cent to 8.6 million readers, the highest amongst the top ten dailies of the country as per NRS 2003.

We have also envisaged a growth wherein we will break the 10 million mark in readership.

Q. Have you at any stage felt the need to create a formal training system for your editorial staff?

We have a decentralised training system in place. In addition to that we have an arrangement with a German mass communications institute for formal training. Otherwise, we focus on job rotation and ensure that the members get adequate exposure to different markets.

Q. Would you comment on the advertising interest in Amar Ujala? Do you see an uptrend here?

We saw a near 29 per cent growth in advertising revenue for the year 2003-04. The important part is that we are a market leader in western Uttar Pradesh and Uttranchal, a region that has a huge population density. This is something that would not have escaped the attention of advertisers, particularly in the FMCG and consumer durables segment.

A newspaper is perhaps the most complex FMCG brand that is created everyday and delivered at the doorstep. Why can’t we leverage this network to give the print the cutting edge over rest of the media options? In this context, we had partnered Nestle for the launch of Readimix instant coffee in Kanpur. We had also partnered with HLL for brands like Ayush, Lifebuoy and Pepsodent. The potentials are truly high in this context.