MP print media hit hard due to virus outbreak, lockdown

BHOPAL: The Coronavirus outbreak and lockdown has severely affected the print media in Madhya Pradesh as over 300 newspapers have been forced to suspend publications due to issues like lack of transport facilities and rumours that newspapers could be carriers of the virus.

Some of the affected media organisations have started putting out online editions to keep their readership intact.

"More than 300 medium and small newspapers from various districts have stopped printing their editions in the absence of transport facilities and drastic decline in advertisements," an official said.

"Misgivings" that newspapers could carry the deadly virus to people's homes also led to suspension of printing after the lockdown, he said on condition of anonymity.

Nearly 670 newspapers are registered with the state government and out of these, 287 are published from Bhopal, the official said.

"Things have come to such a pass that no newspapers are being printed in 95 per cent of the districts in Madhya Pradesh," he said.

The hawkers association in Dewas district has stopped distributing newspapers since March 25, contending that they do not want to put their lives to risk in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the state.

Rajendra Chourasia, an office-bearer of the Dewas hawkers association, said they have decided not to distribute newspapers till April 14.

After stopping their print editions, some media houses are bringing out e-papers to stay alive in the news market.

Newspapers are putting out editorials to assure readers that they are safe, in a bid to hold on to the sales that have nosedived.

Some newspapers are also mentioning on their mastheads in bold letters that 'NEWSPAPERS ARE SAFE', to dispel the fear among readers.

"I am bringing out the e-paper with a skeleton staff after suspending printing of my newspaper from Bhopal and Indore a few days back," Vijay Das, the owner and editor-in- chief of Rashtriya Hindi Mail, a morning daily, the news agency.

A lot of poor people, including hawkers, are involved in the production and delivery of newspapers.

Their gatherings need to be avoided in view of the coronavirus crisis, said Das, who is founder and convener of Central Press Club, Bhopal.

"I dont buy the argument of some Hindi newspapers in the state which are quoting the World Health Organisation to claim that newspapers are safe," argued Das, who is in the publication business for last 25 years.