Editors Speak On How Print Still Enjoys Credibility In Digital Age

"The digital age is a challenge to the structured life," said Archana Pai Kulkarni at the Women Writers’ Fest, organised by SheThePeople.TV, in Pune. Women editors of various print mediums came together for a thought-provoking discussion on what it takes to run a magazine in the digital age.

The editors spoke about how they are constantly competing with the challenges that digitization poses to newspapers and physical books. The discussion also touched upon how digitization has influenced the revenue and readership. How magazines always get a second-class treatment compared to daily publications. And how women’s magazines are considered frivolous because it is ‘normal’ for them to talk about hair and makeup.

Newspapers have time to verify and look at every side of the story and therefore, have more credibility

INDIA STILL READS THE NEWSPAPER

Sunanda Mehta, ex-resident editor of The Indian Express, said the newspaper still continues to enjoy tremendous credibility in India. As many depend on social media for news, there is a great chance of rumours breaking out faster. The newspaper is the only source which can separate fake from real, she pointed out.

Newspapers have time to verify and look at every side of the story and therefore, have more credibility.

She believes that newspapers have an advantage over digital as they can have a perspective and stick to their ethos than just breaking the news.

WOMEN’S MAGAZINE

Corina B Manuel, editor of 'Urbane', believes being relevant is the most important thing. To keep up with ever-changing trends, the editors of a magazine have to be predictors as they plan the editions way ahead.

Gauri Shah of 'Crème' feels that people never consider journalists working for a magazine as a true-blue journalists as they are not working for a daily. However, it is a challenge for a magazine to think of new ideas. Moreover, digital medium is a two-way street, but for print, the feedback comes only at the end of a cycle.

Digitization has got a lot of simultaneity in the relationship between an author and an editor

BOOK PUBLISHING

Sucharita Dutta Asane, who is a book editor, feels that digitization has changed the editor-writer relationship. It has been able to get a lot of simultaneity in the relationship between an author and an editor. Digitization has been instrumental in allowing a deviation from traditional grammar and usage. However, she believes that only "sustained reading" can survive. "There is a body of writing available today which provides instant gratification but it does not have a long life," she said.

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