Aug 23, 2002 06:28 PM
1938 Views
(Updated Aug 23, 2002 06:34 PM)
Founded in 1838 and owned by Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd (whose logo features two elephants with the motto reading ''LET THE TRUTH PREVAIL''? HA! HA! HA!
Now that officially they boast the world’s highest circulation surpassing the New York Times, Times of India is the paper I subscribe to among others Asian Age & Economic Times being the others. It’s more out of need then pleasure or the editorials and getting my daily dose of news.
The need being all that any meaningful or advertising is mainly featured here, so are the government tenders, any one interested in keeping up with what is being advertised across India has to subscribe due to the lack of any other option.
The Only thing I do like is the daily crossword (which now I can finish in 20 minutes at the most).
Other things that I have to look out for is the EDUCATION TIMES supplement as it pertains to my business, and the ascent which I think is good, otherwise the BOMBAY TIMES and other supplement don't convey much news rather then eye catching headlines and resorting to half clad photos of celebrities.
Over the years it has steadily been in decline and its going down by the day, with India times being the major focus of the paper today one finds early 50 - 80 small ads featuring India times in it even the FrontPage sometimes carries news about indiatimes.com.
The editorials like the Speaking Tree and the others lack substance or are clearly out of sync, very rarely does one come across any meaningful International News apart from what could be better termed as Believe it or not (the International Snippets it carries, no relevance or reason at all to it).
The coverage is sometimes very vague and hard to follow, and I prefer to read the MIDDAY then waste my time on anything other then the crossword, ads and Monday supplements.
Dubyaman is becoming sillier and rhyme less by the day and all the Sunday Goodies which one looked forward to a couple of years ago have been reduced to one page in the Sunday Times.
Whenever I'm traveling I rather read some other paper which carries local as well as varied news unlike TOI, which has become so stereotyped as french-fries and MacDonald’s.
The Sports Section with expert comments from TOI long standing expert Mr. Rizvi have little bearing to what’s going on,
The business section has got a little better with more coverage to International and National Tie ups and company movements.
I never look up the national or state sections as the antics of the politicians have ceased to amuse me any further.
FOR ADVERTISING:
Even when I have to advertise the rates applied for a 10 x2 ad is a whopping Rs. 50,000and companies like WINTECH had booked up ad space for the entire back page for every Wednesday for 52 weeks in succession (and people wonder where the money went when the IT boom ended, I'll tell you in the pockets of TIMES GROUP), the boom of the It industry gave TOI the license to overcharge and fleece advertisers bleeding them dry, even the classifieds are one of the most expensive as compared to anything else in India and I suspect in the world.
Commercially they may be the most successful but even in journalistic circles they are the least respected or trusted.
LET THE TRUTH INDEED COME OUT!!
