Me, My Newspaper and the Fight for Survival

I felt a bit uneasy this morning. Something was missing. I did not get one of my two newspapers. Instead of Garhwal Post, the vendor supplied two copies of Dehradun classifieds by mistake. It may not sound a big deal but for me the dose of early morning sun, a hot cup of tea and my newspapers are a habit.

There is a very personal connection with my morning ritual of holding the newspaper in my hands. I love the smell of a bundle of fresh pages as they rustle in my fingers. No smart phone can replicate this sensory pleasure. The gadget screen is cold and impersonal but there is a tactile comfort in holding a newspaper. The relationship with my newspaper represents a moment of mindfulness. In those twenty-thirty odd minutes of reading, the world slows down for me. Unlike digital feeds that use algorithms to show us only what we are interested in or even what we are talking about, the newspaper presents the world as it is— diverse, surprising with all shades of black and white.

Many consider the diminishing newspaper-reading fraternity as “old school”, but who cares. I grew up reading The Tribune and Readers Digest, thanks to my father who did not mind this small “investment” from a humble salary to encourage me to get into the habit of reading. While in school, the only page that attracted me was the sports page, particularly cricket. Having played as a young lad in Chandigarh with the likes of the legendary Kapil Dev, the game of cricket flowed in my veins. Then, as the prefect (head boy) of my school, one of my tasks in the morning assembly was to share the “news of the day.” Those days the newspapers were the main source of information.

My English professor in the college urged me to read editorials. It was boring and difficult to begin with but soon I found it a great way of improving my English (that habit has made a great contribution in my writing journey as an author and in making me successful in my civil services exams). We were given cash awards for top ranks in exams but only to buy books of our interest. During the four years, I had created a mini-library of books from these awards.

These two states have taken a bold decision to make newspaper reading mandatory in government schools. The directive is to subscribe to a minimum of two newspapers, one in Hindi and one in English. The purpose is to encourage the habit of reading, reduce screen time, improve vocabulary and enhance general awareness among students. I, for one, like this decision.

The image of children with smartphones, iPads or tablets is a familiar sight. They are totally engrossed and oblivious of their surroundings and do not like to consume physical news.

The television and social media platforms like Instagram, and YouTube deliver news in 15-second bursts. Compared to this, a physical newspaper feels slow and “low-stimulus.” Newspapers are filled with heavy political or crime-related negative news, which is overwhelming or uninteresting for younger readers. They are put off by difficult vocabulary and complex sentence structures as compared to social media which often uses simpler, informal language. So, children cannot be totally blamed for this decline.

While digital news is convenient, researchers suggest that the physical act of reading a newspaper offers unique brain benefits in terms of attention, retention and linguistic skills.

Newspapers need to attract young readers by incorporating fun sections like comic strips, puzzles, pictures etc. Bringing out a weekly “student edition” may be a good idea. The collaborative efforts of parents and teachers can help children to get over the habit of “skimming” and imbibe intellectual patience required for deep, analytical thinking and “digital detox”.

The survival of the newspaper depends on moving away from the “breaking news” race – which the internet has already won—and leaning into depth, trust and physical ritual.

Instead of competing with the 24/7 digital news cycle, newspapers have to rebrand as an antidote to “scrolling” and focus on investigative reporting and long-form analysis that provides context rather than just facts. They also need to enhance their aesthetic appeal by transitioning print editions into “coffee-table” quality products with high-end photography and layout, making the physical paper a collectible object. Of course, there will be cost implications for quality printing.

Newspapers are not meant just to repeat national news, which is available everywhere. They have a bigger social responsibility. Local issues need to be flagged. Beyond the print, they can organise seminars on critical local issues, involve the experts and local community to come out with action plans for the government.

Every newspaper that wants to revitalise must ponder on its larger role. Are you just “selling news” (which is accessible online)? Are you highlighting the good yet unnoticed work done by a common man, say the street cleaner or an ambulance driver? Are you crusading a local cause on a long-term basis or just doing knee-jerk reporting? Do you balance the contents by carrying some good news daily?

Finally, every newspaper needs finances to survive. Running a newspaper throughout the year (in a digital age) with escalating printing costs isn’t just a career—it’s a war of attrition. As the ads dry up and the towers of tech loom larger, only the defiant and passionate can survive. Good journalism is hard team work.

A vibrant town without a good newspaper is like a house without windows – it loses its view of itself. So, it is the collective responsibility of the government, corporates and community to save the heartbeat of a town or the state at large.

Saving the newspaper isn’t about saving paper; it’s about saving the shared reality that keeps a society evolving and progressing. Long live the newspaper!!!