Newsweek – an appeal

There rises a degree of discomfort while thinking and re-thinking the imminent discontinuation of Newsweek, the respected world events periodical, as a printed magazine, and its re-emergence as a paid online event. However sad the decision on this, of the chiefs at The Daily Beast, may be, the business aspect of this transition is understandable. 

However, even while trying to digest this ‘news’, I was watching two TED lectures a day later, and I realised what the discomfiture really rose from. And that can be surmised in three possible words: Demise of Data.

Demise, probably is a strong word in this context, but if I were to stress the point, it needs to be used.

When I wrote on the changing world media scenario in my chapter in the book: Cyberspaces and Global Affairs (Ashgate) – Picket Fences Until the End – (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=_okZblPPj9cC&pg=PR13&lpg=PR13&dq=sujit+bhar&source=bl&ots=WtyO4dbq5a&sig=ts6Rdlznq02FeBeUVQmq-RDXIWQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2w5aUNL-E8bKrAfP1oGoDA&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=sujit%20bhar&f=false  ) I was advocating the cause of print as a tangible, stable, digestible, credible and accessible media form that needs to stay afloat, even as online media made its presence felt. I was advocating a position of duality and realised that this could be a difficult business proposition, but a good social cause nevertheless. Newsweek has breached my trust, and has decided to give up its print ghost, so to say, but that’s not what is making me wonder.

Before I go any further, let us look at the traditional media marketing man’s/woman’s argument in fetching advertisement for the print media. Newspapers are sort of ‘in the face’ instruments, that presents the ‘Big Picture’ in a rather ‘Big” manner. Periodicals, such as the Newsweek, may have a less eyeball count in the first-transaction person (one who purchases it), but even as it lies around the house or a waiting hall, its eyeball count can multiply quite in numbers that a daily newspaper cannot afford. This is as good for the advertiser, as it is good for the reporter whose article is read and re-read. In short, this later stage of the periodical, presents data that is freely available, yet pertinent to a point, and draws reaction from a much larger readership than its subscription. 

When the Newsweek goes online, becoming a paid magazine, its database will be accessible to far fewer and for far shorter a period before it climbs down the Google search ladder. Which, in turn, would mean: data lost in transit from print to online.

Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the World Wide Web, argues in his TED talk that data should be freely available to be interlinked for greater human benefit. I cannot agree more. It is not necessary here to enumerate examples, but the case in point is Newsweek and its transition. As I have said, this data would not be available till its owners one day decide to share it. Logically, if you have paid a handsome amount for it, you would also want to use it to your own purposes. But those droplets of proprietary information will not more add to the sea of knowledge that the web itself shows.

Which leads me to two things: It does not mean that a print media journal should essentially be of a charitable nature, freely distributing information that their reporters worked so hard on; nor does it mean that the advancement of world knowledge would stop in its tracks just because the Newsweek’s knowledge bank would suddenly now be available to fewer, luckier individuals [in India, where Internet penetration is (arguably) yet to reach double figures, this would be a problem for sure]. But would it not be preferable to maintain both its avatars in tandem, and enrich the database for future use?

Also, watching Margaret Heffernan, the stress on conflict-inference, or that a different view can also be a deferential view of a subject, was clear. Let us disagree, and you shall be richer in the process.

My plea is to continue Newsweek in its print format even after December 31, even as its paid avatar prospers. Try to crowd-source marketing strategy for once.

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