As per a report of the Internet & Mobile Association of India, Indian internet users are growing fast. Because of these internet-based mobile devices, news can be read anywhere and at any point. Even though the rise of internet users has been tremendous, online media growth has been low comparatively. Many news publishing organisations have switched to websites in the western world and stopped print media publication completely. However, print media is still thriving and has continued to maintain its place – while carving space for online news mediums. A majority readership includes the young generation, who is always first to adopt new technologies. Therefore, media and new publishers are switching to online e-papers.
In a study, it was found that 21 per cent of people aged between 15 to 20 have stopped using the traditional form of media (newspapers). This pattern is explained by the fact that this generation is in constant search of latest news, and for the same, they rely heavily on search engines where news is found instantly. However, with print newspapers, the news can only be read the following day. This stands as a significant disadvantage for printed newspapers, but with news sites, the news can be consumed instantly, and no one has to pay for it. For Indian media, the declining reader interest by younger people is no less than a threat. The news publishers have started cross-media publication of news which means that they are publishing news in digital and print format.
There are now dedicated news applications like Inshorts that provide news in a snackable format. Many large reputed newspapers – be it Times or The Hindu have also launched their applications and web portals. Many other traditional newspapers that have been in print for decades have gone online. New Delhi Times – an international weekly that was started by Dr. Govind Narain Srivastava in 1988 and is now being led by Ankit Srivastava as chief editor, launched its website in 2011. For publications like these which were not a daily print, online news rather turned out to be a great means to garner traffic. While the readership of print of New Delhi Times is reported to be 1.2 Million, the news website records around 2 million visitors per month. The news website also omits the hassle of geographical borders and the news can be accessed by anyone across the world – something that’s a mighty feat to achieve with a print distribution. Besides, the power of the internet also allows them to host video content – something that’s getting increasingly popular among the readers. Many newspapers like New Delhi Times have started their own youtube channels that are now functionally equivalent to TV News channels that can not just deliver news, but also host talk shows, organise debates, and more.
In this age of the internet, there is no more a requirement of the printing press and advanced gadgets to create a newspaper or a TV Channel – the internet has indeed simplified it for good or the worse. Taking examples of giants like Times, The Hindu, Dainik, New Delhi Times, and other newspaper giants – we are soon going to see a more aggressive transition from traditional print to online news.
The English edition of the newspaper is more like an opinion editorial. The 25 journalists work together to cover a wide range of topics & news from geopolitics to local & cultural events. Published weekly, the New Delhi Times is available in two languages – Hindi and English. Its primary area of distribution is Delhi and NCR.