Last but not least: What we can learn from the Indian media
Newspapers around the world are struggling with declining reach - except in India. This huge country enjoys a steadily growing readership and has become the second largest international press market after China. So what can the Swiss industry learn from India?
According to the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), newspaper circulation in India has risen by 36 percent in the last five years. Of course, the rising number of readers is due to the increasing literacy of the population and growing prosperity. But not only that. According to the Aargauer Zeitung, the number of newspaper readers has increased proportionally much more in recent years. How do they do it?
This success was mainly due to regionalization and localization. Many newspapers employ correspondents in the countryside, who in turn run a small workshop on the side. There is plenty of potential for savings: the correspondents write the articles for free. Although they don't earn any money, they gain a lot of prestige. And when the media representatives are not writing articles for free, they are on the hunt for advertisements or distribute the newspaper in their area. That's what you call real commitment. So, dear Swiss journalists: please learn a proper trade, that will provide you with a regular income. You can live out your urge to write on the side. And, morning exercise is quickly replaced by newspaper delivery.
This success was mainly due to regionalization and localization. Many newspapers employ correspondents in the countryside, who in turn run a small workshop on the side. There is plenty of potential for savings: the correspondents write the articles for free. Although they don't earn any money, they gain a lot of prestige. And when the media representatives are not writing articles for free, they are on the hunt for advertisements or distribute the newspaper in their area. That's what you call real commitment. So, dear Swiss journalists: please learn a proper trade, that will provide you with a regular income. You can live out your urge to write on the side. And, morning exercise is quickly replaced by newspaper delivery.
