The print medium is the oldest form of media in India, the first newspaper that was published in India was the ‘Bengal Gazette’, in the year 1780. Print medium has played an important role during the freedom struggle movement be it in the in the form of newsletters, notices, journals etc. it helped inform people, educate them and propagate the ideas of patriotism and nationalism. Most leaders used newspapers as a medium to put their message across to create awareness. Keval. J Kumar (1994) For a long time newspapers have been in the highlight when it comes to fighting for rights and societal causes, in India newspapers are also available in vernacular languages making it easily available in regional areas. Edmund Chukwuma Onwuliri (2019) One of the most prominent instance of newspapers fighting for their civil rights is when ‘The Indian Express’ and ‘The Statesman’ left their editorial page blank during emergency in India in 1975.Dr Jhumur Ghosh (2016) Newspapers are one of the most reliable source of information which comes at an affordable price thereby making it accessible to people belonging to the lower income strata . Newspapers maybe an important asset to the society as source of information but there are certain things that newspapers need to pay heed to in order to retain its place such as branding, according to the article on Media Brands and Branding (2008) newspapers need to have a unique and strong brand value and image in this cut-throat competition. The newspapers have to make sure that they are reliable and a trustworthy source of information in the eyes of their readers. It is vital for newspapers to retain their brand value and pay attention to branding so as to maintain consumer loyalty and increase readership of their publication. Aaker D.A, (1996)They not only have to maintain engagement of the readers but also have to curate their content in accordance to their consumer’s preference.Media Brands and Branding (2008) In today’s age as per the research done by Anna Maria Jönsson and Henrik Ornebring (2011)newspapers have to be eye grabbing especially in terms of their visual designs such as fonts, colours, layout, choice of images and textual choices to be understood which would help in newspaper commercialisation. According to Businessline (2006) newspaper can be divided into three categories the first is breadth which includes different channels and formats, the second is length and lastly depth which revolves around new revenue aspects by using information as products and services. Another important aspect of newspaper branding is business to business branding which means marketing advertisements of various companies(brands) to consumers ultimately alternating newspapers as a helpful platform for advertisements According to Keller (2008) “a brand’s power depends on what is in the consumers mindset”. Whether it is the value of the newspapers’ brand value or equity it is vital to maintain its distinctiveness and should be according to the consumer’s preference. There should be clear understanding as far as advertising to consumers are concerned as the consumers should always be given preference whilst maintaining quality and value claims Duncan and Moriarty (1998)
As far as new challenges and lost opportunities are concerned it is evident that literacy is the major factor affecting the circulation of newspapers as according to World Association of Newspapers (2008) only about sixty percent of Indian can write and read from which even lesser can read the issues published by newspapers as per the research conducted by S Kumar (2015) the cost of production, printing, marketing is higher than the revenue generated through this. According to V.V.S Sarma (2015)The major source of revenue for newspapers are advertising and brand extensions however this has also become problematic for newspapers as due to excessive publication of advertisements the quality of the content has decreased and readers tend to lose interest in the newspapers if half the front page is covered in advertisements. Also other sources of media like television and radio also provide information to the consumers thereby rendering brand extensions less effective as per the research conducted by Gautam . P , V.S.S Sarma(2011). Timeliness has always become a hindrance for newspapers as its competitors like television and radio have the ability to provide the latest updates and can continuously edit their reportage when telecasting or broadcasting breaking news whereas newspapers have to wait twenty four hours to do so Keval. J Kumar (1994). Among many challenges the fact that most consumers now are against wasting paper affects newspapers as that reduces newspaper circulation to a large extent . When discussing challenges and lost opportunities one must not that forget that the subscriptions and staff also pose a threat as major publications usually add gifts and offers to attract subscribers and for some time subscribers were also considered as a source of revenue but with the decrease in circulation there has been a downfall of subscribers as well as per the research done by S. Kumar et al(2015) While the cost of retaining staff has increased marginally due to the increase in competition it also leads to loss of staff as employs continue to shift their focus to newer brands and organisations. Michael Gawenda, ‘ Do Newspapers have a future? Furthermore, the most threatening and challenging factor that affects print media such as newspapers is the advent of new media, with rapid advancement of technology there has been a plethora of alternatives as far as newspapers are concerned as per the research conducted by Sen and Nielsen (2016) it could be in the form of internet, websites, mobile devices like cell phones, tablets or even social media. Consumers tend opt for their cell phone devices to access information as it is cost effective, they can get information in real time about anything while sitting anywhere in the world. Wan-Infra (2016) Digital media has completely taken the Indian traditional media landscape by a storm, according to Piya Chhabra (2015) in fact some of the traditional media sources depend on digital media for the news source. The increasing development of digital media has affected print media publication and readership by a large margin.
However, as per the paper written by there is a strong belief that no media can completely replace another media in fact there is always room for all type of media to co-exist especially in the Indian market if they adapt to the new methods of technology and reinvent themselves so as to combat the threats posed by the competition and maintain readership states Dr Kati Forster, Dr Rohn (2013).Publication of regional newspapers in vernacular languages remains stable due to recent increase in literacy in India. Also the reportage of local news in the form of print and websites which includes categories like finance, sports and entertainment have helped newspapers endure the overwhelming impact of digital media claims the research done by Edmund Chukwuma Onwuliri (2019) The growing rate of newspaper websites is a contributing factor in helping newspapers find a solution to the threat of digital media according to The Capstone Report (2011) “Almost all Indian newspapers have their websites wherein each morning their publish their daily edition with compelling visuals and textual content in time which has helped newspapers maintain their stance in the market while retaining their authenticity.” FICCI-KPMG Reports. (2009-2014) “ Indian Media and Entertainment Industry.Some of the media houses are also converging their mediums and venturing into television and radio, media houses like the Times of India, Dainik Bhaskar and The Hindu, etc have their own television channels. The Newswire (2011) Adapting itself to advancement in technology newspapers can easily disseminate news about local, national and global magnitude at a cost-effective price and increase its readership. Chattopadhyay, Saayan. 2012. ‘Online Journalism and Election Reporting in India’. Moreover, unlike other western countries, Indian newspaper don’t really need to fear the impact of digital media as 70% of the newspapers’ revenue is dependent on advertising rather than subscription and circulation solely. In fact in the downfall of circulation, supposedly in terms of advertising, which depends on readership, if newspaper circulation was to be supplemented by readership it would help boost the revenue of newspapers even on the digital platform. Sanjay Kumar, (2015) However the fact that advancement in technology has only recently been introduced to the Indian market and that the growth of internet is still at its developing stage can further assure the fact Indian newspapers are not exactly going to be threatened by digital media . Even if it does it’ll not be a major blow as people in India still opt for newspapers for detailed information as compared to its counterparts, nonetheless targeting the youth would also ensure in becoming one of the major solution to combat the threat of digital media and increase readership as they are the leading consumers of digitals media according to the report written by Rasmus Klieis Nielsen (2018) ‘ The future of India’s newspapers has to be digital and it has to be Now’ Therefore it is safe to state that if anything, Indian newspapers are moving in the upward direction and may only increase their presence in the Indian market. According to World Association of Newspapers (2017)Indian newspapers industry could increase by 17.9 percent in the following five years.