TOI's content initiative takes a dig at news channels

To make people aware of the merits about the habit of reading a daily newspaper, The Times of India has launched an in-house content initiative — ‘Newspapers Don’t Fake News’.

The content video has actor Kettan Singh taking a direct dig on the blatant, false and fake information present on social media and even on how news channels are losing their credibility.

The video cotent:

Sanjeev Bhargava

Sanjeev Bhargava, Director, Brand TOI/ TIMS, in interaction with BuzzInContent.com, said that depending on the needs of the market, there may be more such initiatives that talk directly to its potential readers.

“It is now common knowledge that a very substantial part of the content on social media is motivated or patently false and fabricated. It is in the interest of any responsible citizen to protect himself/herself from such canards,” he said.

Though the content launched is in the format of a video, Bhargava said similar information is being dispensed from all the media, including digital, radio, print and TV.

As newspapers stand for the integrity of news, he feels it is TOI’s duty to get this message across to as many readers as possible, and the decision to start reading newspapers is then left to them.

The initiative is for the markets across India as the issues thrown up in the video are pertinent to everyone. A call is yet to be taken on the duration of the initiative but it depends on the traction in the market.

There is a direct take that the newspaper takes at news channels and social media platforms, mentioning how they spread fake/ irrelevant news, while clearly stating ‘News ka best source is news ka oldest form- Newspaper’ (The best source of the news is the oldest form of the news — newspaper).

Though the portrayal was way too blunt, Bhargava said that truth is sometimes harsh and truth must be told.

The world is getting polarised as it feeds on more and more motivated content on the internet. The power of the internet is also its greatest weakness. It works on a universal algorithm that feeds one with information based on his/her consumption history.

And this, he said, creates an echo chamber where one only consumes what he/she already believes to be right.

He added, “This hardens your attitudes against the opposite view making you more polarised. The polarisation that we witness across the world on nationalism, religion, ethnicity, gender, etc., is all emanating from this obsessive consumption of content on the internet. The newspaper stands for the extreme opposite. A dispenser of news and content that is balanced, provides alternative perspectives, is curated and validated. It is our mission to provide this as a resource to as many people as possible and we will continue with this struggle on as many fronts as possible.”

To get the newspaper industry back to pre-Covid levels, one has to educate readers on the unique value of the newspaper in their lives.

He said, “Educate young media planners of the unique advantages of using print, particularly when there is something meaningful to be announced and ensure that the newspaper continues to be the beacon of excellent journalism in the country.”