Brrrrr, it’s cold outside.
So let me begin by wishing our readers a very, very warm and prosperous new year. We hope ThePrint, in some small measure, brings you glad tidings in 2023 — along with its customary in-depth reporting and incisive commentary. Our endeavour will always be to enrich your understanding of the world today and what tomorrow may bring.
This Readers’ Editor piece is dedicated to the readers, especially those of you who wrote to me in 2022. I have tried to reply, honestly – I am only too keenly aware of my responsibility to readers — to listen to them, to represent them and with their assistance, to help ThePrint be responsive and respectful to its audience.
Please continue to keep us on our toes with your perceptive comments, complaints, corrections — and compliments. How’s that for a neat alliteration?
Much of ThePrint’s journalism in 2022 deserves recognition, but we will come to that later. First, let’s listen in to what the readers had to say.
Brickbats and considerations
The criticism – ah yes, there was a fair bit of that. Foremost, from a reader’s perspective, several wanted to know if ThePrint implemented their suggestions.
Truthfully, the answer is yes and no.
Yes, ThePrint responds immediately to any errors that are pointed out — factual, grammatical or otherwise; yes, it heeds your reminder to be balanced and fair. For instance, I receive frequent emails accusing ThePrint of “anti-Hindu bias”, of “peddling fake narratives” or “paid news” — “your newspaper (sic) is biased, period”, wrote one aggrieved reader. On the other hand, a reader urged The Print to write more about “the Nazi politics of Hindutva…I know you are exposing some things but it is not enough”. Well, when both sides of the argument protest, you are probably getting the balance right.
Several disapproved of individual writers, especially opinion writers, led by the Editor-in-Chief of ThePrint, Shekhar Gupta. His weekly ‘National Interest’ column and ‘Cut the Clutter’ (CTC) videos are greeted equally with high-fives and sighs of exasperation. Contributors such as Dilip Mandal, Yogendra Yadav, Kapil Komireddi, Renuka Sane and others have irritated readers too. The common thread in these reproaches is that ThePrint does not give adequate space to the Right but promotes “anti-Hindu” sentiment.
When I, finally, pointed out that this was as untrue as it was unfair, and cited writers such as R Rajagopalan, Seshadri Chari, Jaithirth Rao whose views inflect to the Right, one reader generously conceded, “I stand corrected, my apologies.”
However, it is true that suggestions made by readers — some that are very good — are not always acted upon by ThePrint immediately but we are getting there. For example, readers have continually asked that ThePrint create an app: folks, there’s good news. We are working on this and, fingers crossed, will have one for you next year.
Throughout the year, readers asked for a ‘Comments’ section under individual articles: this was suspended after reporters, many of them on their first assignments, were roundly trolled and abused. Perceptive readers would have noticed its revival since October — in the form of a pop-up on every page on the site.
Someone suggested that referenced books and articles should be enumerated at the end of every report instead of appearing as hyperlinks on text. But we have to say no to that: such a scholarly approach may intimidate the average reader.
One of the strongest demands raised increasingly by readers is to do something about the pop-up advertisements: “You have disappointed me,” grumbled a reader, “the maniacal persistence (of ads over text) was amazing”. Some have threatened to cancel their subscriptions — get rid of the offensive advertisements or else…
As a reader, I share their irritation — it’s very irritating indeed to read with those ‘creatures’ concealing the text! But, how can a media organisation survive without commercial support? It’s virtually impossible. Can ads be less obstructive, intrusive? ThePrint is exploring options. Meanwhile, we share the readers’ indignation, but we cannot wish away the advertisements — do bear with us and don’t cancel your subscriptions.
Even as I write this, I am being told that ThePrint will have a tech makeover after which paid subscribers will have an ad-lite experience. So, sign up, folks.
Also read: How ThePrint courageously covered the Covid battleground and won the IPI award
A bouquet of suggestions
ThePrint’s readers are generous with advice and suggestions: they are keen viewers of CTC and regularly send in requests for Shekhar Gupta on subjects of interest to them. The ideas are good. I particularly liked the ones for a CTC on RTI (Right to Information) and on the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC). A few were a trifle obscure: can we have a CTC on the Canadian economy and its politics?
Hmmm, maybe not.
Some suggest that he tackle more domestic issues rather than international subjects and I do know that Shekhar is trying to do just that. A helpful reader shared useful tips on attracting a wider audience, which I hope ThePrint follows: a 30-second sampler on videos, video archives, summaries of discussions and of ‘Off the Cuff’ interviews, more podcast debates…
There are plenty of suggestions for articles too: write more about the extraordinary Gazette of India (by the way, you can read this informative article on Gazette by retired IAS officer Sanjeev Chopra), “detailed” pieces on the highway, about the “genocide” of religious minorities in Pakistan — someone offered IPL info-graphics, another Covid data while a third asked for news of “employees layoff overnight at a central hospital…”
One gentleman suggested his book on George Fernandes be reviewed, another asked if ThePrint could publish his novel (alas, no), while an irate reader asked why there wasn’t a common station for trains and the metro at Surat, just as the Prime Minister had urged. I replied that perhaps the question was better addressed to the PM whose home state is Gujarat.
This year, I came in for some flak, too, and rightly so: in the Readers’ Editor October column, celebrating the editing skills of the Desk, I made silly spelling errors—oops. A reader requested my views on “bullet trains” and when I didn’t offer any, he wrote, “Your (university) degree is of no use… wish you will have the courage one day…” to give an opinion. Sorry, sir.
There is at least one more suggestion ThePrint may seriously consider: to create a children’s section vertical for the younger generation of readers.
If readers find pop-up advertisements disturbing, I find the constant mail asking to put up paid guest posts mildly annoying – at first I politely declined, now I simply ignore them, although I was intrigued by one for Gender Unicorn and another offer of an “IMF empowerment grant” — my, that would have been fabulous, if authentic!
Many readers submit articles and even poems for publication at ThePrint. Whereas these are often interesting and meaningful, I had to say no, thank you: ThePrint does not, usually, accept unsolicited material. Readers write in about technical and subscription payment glitches, which have mostly been amicably settled. There are the customary long opinion essays on topics dear to some readers: the ‘death of the grand old party’, ‘a history of the Indian police’ are some of the topics.
I look forward to much more mail from many more readers in 2023 and perhaps we can move beyond accusations of bias to more substantive feedback on the contents of the website? That would help ThePrint to constantly improve itself.
Also read: Meet ThePrint’s Desk—people with one of the most unenviable jobs in journalism
A year of expansion
Just before we leave 2022 behind us, I want to remind our readers of some of the highlights of the last one year. Foremost, the entire team returned to office after a gap of almost two years – this improved coordination and communication between everyone.
Editorially, you may have noticed greater focus on strategic affairs—especially after the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in February—crime and intelligence. There is now a dedicated team mentored by National Security Editor Praveen Swami.
The ‘Features’ section has expanded to become an important destination for readers. And don’t think this consists of ‘soft’ stories on fashion and lifestyles, alone: there was a series on women in judiciary, on rape victims, on cryptocurrency, and on technology sector to list out a few. There are also the weekly films and OTT reviews — and delightful pieces on, say, the virtues of an idli. The young bunch of reporters travel far and wide to track social and cultural trends under the watchful eye of Opinion and Features Editor Rama Lakshmi.
Sports readers will have also read the good news: more articles on sports—the T20 World Cup and the football World Cup have led the way here.
Agency copy from ANI and PTI is now fully automated—which means much more news for readers. It also leads to the occasional error – as pointed out by readers – but the sheer number of stories put out is worth the risk of a mistake or two. A Speed Desk has also been introduced in 2022, which reports breaking news.
Oh and one more thing: an additional attraction at ThePrint now is the Reuters syndication on a wide range of topics—do look out for them.
The Print is also moving more towards a paywall world—‘TheFinePrint’ section whose content will soon become exclusive to subscribers. So sign up.
Another subscriber initiative is to offer more exclusive video programmes on ThePrint’s YouTube channel: one such is the new show called ‘Political Adda’, which features Political Editor D.K. Singh and his colleagues. There are shows on law (Laws of the Land), the environment (Tipping Point), economy (Macro Sutra) on offer, too.
However, ThePrint’s core strength remains where its heart lies: in its ground reporting. The coronavirus pandemic saw young journalists travel through India to report on its deadly progression. Their efforts have now been recognised, with seven ThePrint journalists—including three photographers—winning the prestigious International Press Institute award for their Covid coverage.
ThePrint hasn’t looked back since: senior editors, reporters and feature writers and photographers are always on the move in search of new stories, ever more “unique” experiences.
ThePrint’s quest to provide readers with stories that matter wherever they occur — stories you won’t read elsewhere — will continue into 2023.
Join us for the ride.
Shailaja Bajpai is ThePrint’s Readers’ Editor. Please write in with your views, complaints to readers.editor@theprint.in
(Edited by Prashant)