Indian newspapers need to reinvent themselves to meet the popular demands but they should remain rooted to the original intent of journalism to serve public interest, Vice Chairperson of Hindustan Times Shobhana Bhartia said on Tuesday.
Noting that 47 per cent of the readership is now under 20 years of age, Bhartia, who was delivering a keynote address on the occasion of presentation of the Sanskriti-Prabha Dutt Fellowship for Excellence in Journalism in New Delhi on Tuesday evening, said they were demanding a lot more than what the newspapers have to offer.
"Newspapers are reinventing themselves to meet these requirements by having more content on topics such as travel and tourism. The papers in the US had gone through a similar adaptation in the 1980s and while papers in the UK initially frowned upon these changes, they later realised the need to cater to the needs of the people," she said. Bhartia, who is also the Editorial Director of the Hindustan Times, however, said the newspapers should meet these needs without "dumbing down".
"Newspapers must be rooted to their role of being the fourth pillar in a democracy. They must be rooted to the original intent of serving public interest... The soul of journalism does not change," she said.
Bhartia said newspapers should offer more to the people than just stories on crime and corruption. "People, who are contributing to nation-building, should also be reported," she said.
