CM sets pace: Think new, think big!

Print media still rules hearts & minds, says CM Bommai at launch of new national daily News Trail.

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The electronic media may have grown exponentially in recent years but it is the print media which is trusted by people who are inclined to believe any news only if it appears in newspapers and this proves the clout of the print media, said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Speaking after launching this new national daily published from Bengaluru on Thursday, the CM said as far as English newspapers are concerned, there are established papers in Karnataka. But there is still space for new thinking, a new approach and new standards which will be appreciated by the public.

"You have to create a new space. Don’t go after established newspapers as you will be wasting your time and energy. If the new readership comes, the old readership will automatically go. Think new, think big and think good for the people. Then people will follow you, read you and buy your paper,’’ said Bommai while stressing on the need for credibility and objectivity in news reports.

The CM admitted that starting a newspaper is a challenge, that too in the current Covid phase. ‘’It is not only a challenge and a venture but a big adventure also.

And all the people who are in the management must have the courage to take up the challenge. This is a high risk adventure which can also bring high gains. If you achieve success, the gains are always high I hope ‘News Trail’ will have this kind of success. Let it overcome the challenges and score an advantage in the current situation,’’ he said.

Bommai felt the name ‘News Trail’ is interesting too. ‘’Of course news is trailed. First comes the news, then the trail follows and then the story comes out. Sometimes when you turn it around, there is a story and you trail it. Like we have so many ways in politics, the press too has so many ways to project the news,’’ he said.

“I was wondering why you called me for the launch of a newspaper. Leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah was there and you had Dr Sudarshan Ballal (chairman, Manipal Hospitals) who are big enough to inaugurate it. You could have called many others but the fact of the matter is that politicians cannot survive without the press. And the press cannot survive without politicians. Imagine a paper without political news; who is going to read it? The first page, centre page and editorial page are about our actions, decisions and our roles. Without politicians, no paper or TV channel can be interesting. Similarly, for a politician unless and until his thoughts and views are conveyed, he cannot survive. We can communicate with the people only through the press. That is why someone cleverly said it is the fourth pillar. Nowadays, it is the only pillar”, Bommai remarked.

“In the world of perception, the press plays an important role and so, I wish ‘News Trail’ will trail the truth, the real facts and what is good for society. With the advent of the internet the dissemination of news happens faster. Earlier, news would be written and it was not driven by any other media. Now the entire media, especially the electronic media, is driven by social media. The electronic media picks up the news which breaks on social media and it is again picked up by the print media. This is because nobody wants to lose anything no matter whether it is right or wrong. That is the competition they have. A big competition happens when a correspondent airs something important; the fate of the correspondents of other channels is imaginable as he/she will be hauled up. The electronic media is also always on its toes and every minute/second, it comes out with news. But still people believe in the print media. They might see the news but they get it confirmed in print. That is the faith they have in newspapers.’’

Bommai also referred to the Covid crisis and said the entire world and nation is passing through a tough phase with all countries struggling to fight Covid. ‘’This is a crucial time where every bit of information is important. The right to information is the need of the hour. True news is required in the current situation,’’ he said. The CM commended the initiative to felicitate Covid warriors saying it was a good gesture as many of them have done good work risking their lives.