Credibility gives print edge over digital media

Hyderabad: Director of Press Information Bureau T V K Reddy has expressed optimism that the credibility factor, among others, attributed to newspapers will help them survive the challenges from the digital media. Delivering the key-note address at the seminar on “Newspapers in the Digital Era”, organised by the Department of Communication and Journalism, Osmania University, at the ICSSR Hall here on Thursday, Reddy observed that readers ravenous about serious and quality journalism would still prefer newspapers to digital media.

He observed that despite dipping circulation of newspapers, readership was on the increase as “old reading habits” are difficult to die so easily. Emphasising on the design element in newspapers, Assistant Editor of The Hans India T Bhaskar Rao said that the newspapers across the globe have re-designed to engage the readers in a meaningful manner in the digital era. The design elements complement the editorial content and vice-versa, he said.

Vijay Kumar, an advertising professional, called for a rethink of a different business model by the newspaper industry and the digital media. He observed that change is inevitable and technology cannot be stopped. He emphasised that the newspapers would always play a complementary role in a digital environment. Assistant Editor of Andhra Jyothy Krishna Murthy elaborated on the changes in the newsroom operations -- pagination, proof-reading, editing, re-writing for television and web editions.

Telangana Chief of Bureau of The Hindu M Ravi Reddy outlined the digital initiatives of “The Hindu” and pointed out that news was being processed to the “Net edition first and to the print later”. Journalists are now making more value additions by planning stories and providing sufficient background, he said.City Editor of The Hindu V Geetanath remarked that tomorrow’s journalists would be engaged in multi-tasking and urged students to hone their skills.

Lead Designer of Purple Talk V Rohan Kartik traced the evolution of the media and highlighted the design elements of various apps which present augmented reality to the readers in the near future. Raka Sudhakar, Sakshi Post, lamented that the print media was failing in its agenda and it was the social media which was providing the contrary point of view.

Content recycling, a practice widely prevalent in the digital media is a major cause for concern, he said and added that print media would supplement news through the digital platform. Elaborating further, he said that in the digital media, one could track the success of the story flashed through the number of hits through Google analytics and assess which news stories are going well with the audience. Prof. B Balaswamy welcomed the participants. Prof K Stevenson presided over the first session while Prof V Shyam Sunder (Retd) chaired the second session.