Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief, The Indian Express
Our philosophy is to cover all the news that the other newspapers would either not be able to access, or would not be able to publish. We always have sharp opinions and we always take a stand on issues.
Our philosophy is to cover all the news that the other newspapers would either not be able to access, or would not be able to publish. We always have sharp opinions and we always take a stand on issues.Shekhar is a product from the same Express school of journalism. Q. Ads Are A Part Of Content Too... "I feel that advertisements form a crucial part of content. If newspaper A has one ad that newspaper B does not, the reader of newspaper B suffers. A lot of advertisements are also news. Ads are a utility for a reader. For example, if Essar has been renamed Hutch, the reader needs to know."
Q. Any Rub-Off... "To some extent maybe an editor has a rub-off on his newspaper, but I think no editor should become bigger than the newspaper. As for me, I don't do very much in The Indian Express and therefore I don't think my personality has any affect on it."
Q. The Indian Express Muscle... The front page is our strongest point, that is, the breaking news, the original stories, the headlines, the packaging and the editing. I feel that this is one thing that we are much better at than anyone else in the market."
Q. The Crucial Last 3 Months... "We felt that the Sunday market was in need of a good paper, as The Times of India and The Hindustan Times on Sundays, were basically riding on the classifieds sections. They had also reduced the number of feature pages a great deal. We therefore launched The Sunday Express. The Sunday Express is not The Indian Express Sunday newspaper, but a new brand altogether. It is doing extremely well and sometimes even takes more time on the editorial than the week days Indian Express."
Q. Looks Matter... "Looks are extremely important. In the 1999-2000 phase, the market was down and the newsprint prices had peaked around the world. We had to cut corners, reduce pages and use poor quality newsprint. This was the time that we suffered a great deal on the premise of looks. So, a newspaper which is good on content might suffer a great deal because of looks."
Q. Fight For The #1... "We have different rivals at different centers. At Bombay, for example, our rival is clearly the Times of India. But we are not looking at the #1 slot there, because there, our objective is different; there The Indian Express is not a paper of record but is a paper of difference. At the same time, in Pune, which is next door to Bombay, because we built up Indian Express with a very strong city section - City Newsline, we've continued to be the #1 (the latest NRS shows that). In fact, we have managed to widen the gap between the #2 and us in Pune, that is, The Times of India. If you go to Chandigarh, our main rival is The Tribune, in spite of the fact that The Hindustan Times has done some aggressive marketing there. And if you look at Delhi, I think that the competition is ourselves, simply because in Delhi, we are a paper of impact and presence. We are not so much into mega-numbers in Delhi, but we have a reasonable critical mass of circulation. Ever since we launched the Sunday Express about three months back, we managed to double our circulation in all our centers on Sundays. We also dropped our cover price everywhere except in Gujarat. This is because Gujarat is a limited market and requires a detailed and larger plan. We have also If you look at Delhi, I think that the competition is ourselves, simply because in Delhi, we are a paper of impact and presence. been unfair to the city because it has been an out-of-mind and out-of-sight centre for us. The most credible thing that Indian Express has done in the past many years is its coverage of the Gujarat riots. However, we have not been paying adequate attention to it after that. Magazines are our competition too, but they compete with our Sunday newspaper. The Sunday Express has 32 pages in broadsheet; thirty-two times four is one hundred and twenty-eight (32 * 4=128). Therefore, I feel that the Sunday Express is a one hundred and twenty-eight paged A4 size magazine. The important point that I always consider is, does my Sunday Express have as much in it? And how do we give it that much of brand equity? The fact that The Sunday Express is doing well shows that there is a demand for a good quality newspaper, but what is needed is a low cover price."
Q. Over The Decade... "We've always been pressed for cash; the group has been through some crisis and some recovery. Yet changes have taken place. Ever since I joined in 1995, the Indian Express is a completely different newspaper since then. I do not know if the change is for the better or for the worse, but the newspaper, after 1995 has had a totally different content. For example, the paper has moved away from, I would not say irresponsible journalism, but hasty journalism. The number of denials and contradictions has gone down a great deal. The paper, I'm sure has a lot more credibility than before. It had a lot more spunk then, but a lot more credibility now. The Sunday Express is like a 120 page A4 size magazine. In the past decade, I think our content has grown a great deal. In 1996, we re-launched the Indian Express with a new design and new content; it took about 6 months before we could do it at all the centers. We then launched The EXPRESS Newsline, which was a very innovative thing to do. The idea was to launch a genuine city newspaper, not a Bombay Times, a Delhi Times or an HT City, which is more fun, and glamour, but a genuine city newspaper. The idea has worked very well. It has set the trend for the other newspapers, which have also brought in more city news. These were some of the big changes that have happened in the past decade."
Q. Crystal Gazing... "As I said I would like The Indian Express to be a newspaper like The Guardian- a newspaper with a difference, which is bought by those who matter."
Q. Editorial Philosophy... "Our philosophy is to cover all the news that the other newspapers would either not be able to access, or would not be able to publish, for whatever reason. However, our philosophy also is to publish all such news in a balanced and fair manner. In the past it was somehow accepted that an anti-establishment story need not be checked and the other side not be given the right to reply. We do not however believe in this theory. For example, when we ran the piece on Tehelka's use of prostitutes, we did not publish it till we got Tehelka's version of the story. Also, our opinion pages are very good. We always have sharp opinions and we always take a stand on issues. The Indian Express has never had a missionary position on anything. It's either one way or the other. This is by and large our philosophy."
Q. In The Minds Of The Readers... "We are a newspaper of difference which believes in aggressive reporting. In terms of market positioning, however, my ideal would be 'The Guardian'. It is a paper that sells at a higher price than The Times of India, The Telegraph etc. It has a critical mass of circulation, is much more powerful than the other two in shaping opinions and is very successful in terms of communication."
Q. Enviornment: Are Newspapers Pressed For Change... "One has to keep changing nowadays. I feel that newspapers and magazines have become more like restaurants now. It's important for them to keep changing their decor. Both The Times of India and The Hindustan Times have improved a lot in certain areas of our strength; although not adequately, but they have narrowed the gap between us and themselves in those areas. At the same time, I think that we are doing better in areas of their strength. Features and glamour, for example are their strengths. We are not doing it as much of it as them, but we are doing it more than before."
Q. But Does Price Really Matter As Well... "The Times of India and The Hindustan Times have slashed their prices. They now cost about Rs.45/month. We, on the other hand, cost about Rs.90/month. The difference between a Rs.45 daily and a Rs.90 daily per month is substantial. At Rs.45/month, a consumer can purchase two newspapers instead of one. So instead of buying an Indian Express, they can buy The Times of India and The Hindustan Times both. The consumer also gets a greater raddi value in this case. But it's not just a case of consumers being price sensitive, but also the kind of incentives that a newspaper gives to the hawkers and the trade. There is a peculiar thing about circulation. I'm not sure that if you add up the circulation of The Times of India and The Hindustan Times, you would get as many readers in Delhi. One, there is a lot of duplication and two, there is a lot of wastage. I'm afraid that the advertiser has not become wise enough so far, but I think that soon he will, and will realize what the relevant circulation is and how many readers matter to him."
Q. Marketing Awareness And Lacking Resources... "Indian Express never marketed itself as a brand in the past. Marketing is something that has only been happening lately. Yet, while the awareness regarding marketing has come, the resources have not beenthere. Some of the others have made a head start in terms of buying up the market. For example, The Times of India, with its very aggressive pricing strategy followed by The Hindustan Times. Hence, if one does not have a lot of surplus cash to compete in a market like that, it becomes difficult. Exactly similar is the case for Indian Express."
Q. Building A Good Media Brand... "I think quality over a very long and sustained period A print brand, I believe is like a nuclear plant. Destroying it is tougher than building it. However, it takes a longest time to set it up. Once created, it goes on and on. of time makes a good media brand. This is especially needed in making a print media brand. This is because print brands take the longest to be created. They are also the most resilient. Once created, print brands almost never die. Unlike TV channels and programs, print brands are also not usually dependant on their editors. If, for example, I'm not there for The Indian Express tomorrow, nobody would notice. But, if Amitabh Bachhan moves out of Kaun Banega Crorepati, the show would probably die. So print is not like newspapers. A print brand, I believe is like a nuclear plant. Destroying it is tougher that building it. However, it takes a longest time to set it up. Once created, it goes on and on."
Q. Any Rub-Off... "To some extent maybe an editor has a rub-off on his newspaper, but I think no editor should become bigger than the newspaper. As for me, I don't do very much in The Indian Express and therefore I don't think my personality has any affect on it."
Q. The Indian Express Muscle... The front page is our strongest point, that is, the breaking news, the original stories, the headlines, the packaging and the editing. I feel that this is one thing that we are much better at than anyone else in the market."
Q. The Crucial Last 3 Months... "We felt that the Sunday market was in need of a good paper, as The Times of India and The Hindustan Times on Sundays, were basically riding on the classifieds sections. They had also reduced the number of feature pages a great deal. We therefore launched The Sunday Express. The Sunday Express is not The Indian Express Sunday newspaper, but a new brand altogether. It is doing extremely well and sometimes even takes more time on the editorial than the week days Indian Express."
Q. Looks Matter... "Looks are extremely important. In the 1999-2000 phase, the market was down and the newsprint prices had peaked around the world. We had to cut corners, reduce pages and use poor quality newsprint. This was the time that we suffered a great deal on the premise of looks. So, a newspaper which is good on content might suffer a great deal because of looks."
Q. Fight For The #1... "We have different rivals at different centers. At Bombay, for example, our rival is clearly the Times of India. But we are not looking at the #1 slot there, because there, our objective is different; there The Indian Express is not a paper of record but is a paper of difference. At the same time, in Pune, which is next door to Bombay, because we built up Indian Express with a very strong city section - City Newsline, we've continued to be the #1 (the latest NRS shows that). In fact, we have managed to widen the gap between the #2 and us in Pune, that is, The Times of India. If you go to Chandigarh, our main rival is The Tribune, in spite of the fact that The Hindustan Times has done some aggressive marketing there. And if you look at Delhi, I think that the competition is ourselves, simply because in Delhi, we are a paper of impact and presence. We are not so much into mega-numbers in Delhi, but we have a reasonable critical mass of circulation. Ever since we launched the Sunday Express about three months back, we managed to double our circulation in all our centers on Sundays. We also dropped our cover price everywhere except in Gujarat. This is because Gujarat is a limited market and requires a detailed and larger plan. We have also If you look at Delhi, I think that the competition is ourselves, simply because in Delhi, we are a paper of impact and presence. been unfair to the city because it has been an out-of-mind and out-of-sight centre for us. The most credible thing that Indian Express has done in the past many years is its coverage of the Gujarat riots. However, we have not been paying adequate attention to it after that. Magazines are our competition too, but they compete with our Sunday newspaper. The Sunday Express has 32 pages in broadsheet; thirty-two times four is one hundred and twenty-eight (32 * 4=128). Therefore, I feel that the Sunday Express is a one hundred and twenty-eight paged A4 size magazine. The important point that I always consider is, does my Sunday Express have as much in it? And how do we give it that much of brand equity? The fact that The Sunday Express is doing well shows that there is a demand for a good quality newspaper, but what is needed is a low cover price."
Q. Over The Decade... "We've always been pressed for cash; the group has been through some crisis and some recovery. Yet changes have taken place. Ever since I joined in 1995, the Indian Express is a completely different newspaper since then. I do not know if the change is for the better or for the worse, but the newspaper, after 1995 has had a totally different content. For example, the paper has moved away from, I would not say irresponsible journalism, but hasty journalism. The number of denials and contradictions has gone down a great deal. The paper, I'm sure has a lot more credibility than before. It had a lot more spunk then, but a lot more credibility now. The Sunday Express is like a 120 page A4 size magazine. In the past decade, I think our content has grown a great deal. In 1996, we re-launched the Indian Express with a new design and new content; it took about 6 months before we could do it at all the centers. We then launched The EXPRESS Newsline, which was a very innovative thing to do. The idea was to launch a genuine city newspaper, not a Bombay Times, a Delhi Times or an HT City, which is more fun, and glamour, but a genuine city newspaper. The idea has worked very well. It has set the trend for the other newspapers, which have also brought in more city news. These were some of the big changes that have happened in the past decade."
Q. Crystal Gazing... "As I said I would like The Indian Express to be a newspaper like The Guardian- a newspaper with a difference, which is bought by those who matter."
Q. Editorial Philosophy... "Our philosophy is to cover all the news that the other newspapers would either not be able to access, or would not be able to publish, for whatever reason. However, our philosophy also is to publish all such news in a balanced and fair manner. In the past it was somehow accepted that an anti-establishment story need not be checked and the other side not be given the right to reply. We do not however believe in this theory. For example, when we ran the piece on Tehelka's use of prostitutes, we did not publish it till we got Tehelka's version of the story. Also, our opinion pages are very good. We always have sharp opinions and we always take a stand on issues. The Indian Express has never had a missionary position on anything. It's either one way or the other. This is by and large our philosophy."
Q. In The Minds Of The Readers... "We are a newspaper of difference which believes in aggressive reporting. In terms of market positioning, however, my ideal would be 'The Guardian'. It is a paper that sells at a higher price than The Times of India, The Telegraph etc. It has a critical mass of circulation, is much more powerful than the other two in shaping opinions and is very successful in terms of communication."
Q. Enviornment: Are Newspapers Pressed For Change... "One has to keep changing nowadays. I feel that newspapers and magazines have become more like restaurants now. It's important for them to keep changing their decor. Both The Times of India and The Hindustan Times have improved a lot in certain areas of our strength; although not adequately, but they have narrowed the gap between us and themselves in those areas. At the same time, I think that we are doing better in areas of their strength. Features and glamour, for example are their strengths. We are not doing it as much of it as them, but we are doing it more than before."
Q. But Does Price Really Matter As Well... "The Times of India and The Hindustan Times have slashed their prices. They now cost about Rs.45/month. We, on the other hand, cost about Rs.90/month. The difference between a Rs.45 daily and a Rs.90 daily per month is substantial. At Rs.45/month, a consumer can purchase two newspapers instead of one. So instead of buying an Indian Express, they can buy The Times of India and The Hindustan Times both. The consumer also gets a greater raddi value in this case. But it's not just a case of consumers being price sensitive, but also the kind of incentives that a newspaper gives to the hawkers and the trade. There is a peculiar thing about circulation. I'm not sure that if you add up the circulation of The Times of India and The Hindustan Times, you would get as many readers in Delhi. One, there is a lot of duplication and two, there is a lot of wastage. I'm afraid that the advertiser has not become wise enough so far, but I think that soon he will, and will realize what the relevant circulation is and how many readers matter to him."
Q. Marketing Awareness And Lacking Resources... "Indian Express never marketed itself as a brand in the past. Marketing is something that has only been happening lately. Yet, while the awareness regarding marketing has come, the resources have not beenthere. Some of the others have made a head start in terms of buying up the market. For example, The Times of India, with its very aggressive pricing strategy followed by The Hindustan Times. Hence, if one does not have a lot of surplus cash to compete in a market like that, it becomes difficult. Exactly similar is the case for Indian Express."
Q. Building A Good Media Brand... "I think quality over a very long and sustained period A print brand, I believe is like a nuclear plant. Destroying it is tougher than building it. However, it takes a longest time to set it up. Once created, it goes on and on. of time makes a good media brand. This is especially needed in making a print media brand. This is because print brands take the longest to be created. They are also the most resilient. Once created, print brands almost never die. Unlike TV channels and programs, print brands are also not usually dependant on their editors. If, for example, I'm not there for The Indian Express tomorrow, nobody would notice. But, if Amitabh Bachhan moves out of Kaun Banega Crorepati, the show would probably die. So print is not like newspapers. A print brand, I believe is like a nuclear plant. Destroying it is tougher that building it. However, it takes a longest time to set it up. Once created, it goes on and on."
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