Our avid readers
Monday, January 19th, 2009
In recent days, I read several pieces about the dying newspaper industry in the US, including one regarding the impending demise of the iconic New York Times. Other news articles like this one paint a bleak picture of the book publishing industry in the developed world.
The Indian market is on the other hand, very far from mourning the death of the printed word (a fact that I personally, am grateful for) - we are the fastest growing English language market for book publishers, and we are also the world’s most vibrant newspaper industry. While newspaper circulation numbers are falling in large parts of the developed world, it is growing rapidly here in all our languages, and thriving in all kinds of formats - dailies, magazines, tabloids.
What’s especially interesting is the increasing number of square inches our newspapers now devote to columnists and opinion pieces. More and more, we are more concerned with debating the ideas and issues underlying the news feed. Our television channels show the same trend. And as audience input and feedback has grown - with We the People, online commentary and so on - we are reflecting the spirit of a public square in our media more than ever before. I find this heartening, but I also wonder - is this entirely a good thing? I believe that debate thrives on participation. But is there a point where it descends to chaos, with authority and expertise being lost, and every idea being as good as every other?