And investigative spirit
Priyanca Radhakrishnan –
Last month, I helped those at a book fair, a Labour Party annual fundraiser in Mt Eden in Auckland. Along with a number of others, I spent a few hours on a Friday night, sorting, categorising and stacking hundreds of books.
Having been a book lover all my life, that night I was in heaven, surrounded by classics, crime thrillers, political biographies, history books and novels of every description.
It also made me quite nostalgic as I wished my mother, a great book lover, was there with me. Going to book fairs is our thing. When I visited India earlier this year, we went to Pondicherry for a few days, and she purchased 30 books – no exaggeration!
Impressive choice
But I digress. The point I was attempting to make was that I love the sight, smell and feel of books in addition to their content. And you just do not get that anymore with our move towards digitalisation. However, I do appreciate the portability of my e-book reader that allows me to read two books at a time – a fiction and a non-fiction – without having to lug two physical books with me at any one time.
This additional bonus of this is that my handbags last quite a bit longer! So here’s my dilemma – I enjoy the benefits of the digital age without foregoing traditional print media.
Reading the ‘Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2015-2019,’ a recent report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers, I was convinced that my dilemma is normal.
Digital difference
According to this report, consumers are increasingly finding themselves in an environment wherein distinctions between ‘digital’ and ‘non-digital’ are becoming irrelevant; what consumers want is choice. They want the ability to choose how and when they consume content and the ability to consume both digital and non-digital media.
That is good news for me and great news for media outlets like Indian Newslink that have recently expanded their content delivery platforms to include a full digital experience.
The advent of social media and the proliferation of smart phones have changed the delivery and consumption of news even further. Barriers have been removed and the number of news sources has increased. Consumers have grown used to real-time news updates. Digital media provides consumers with immediacy – we no longer have to wait for tomorrow’s newspaper to find out what happened today – and it allows consumers easy access to news.
News Source
I get most of my news through Facebook and the Stuff website and in turn, share them through Facebook and Twitter. A recent US study found that 71% of Internet users receive news through email forwards or posts on social networking sites, and 48% of them share the information they receive by forwarding links and stories.
I also subscribe to news feeds and email alerts.
As a Greek philosopher once said, the only thing that is constant is change. And this holds true for the world of news media as well.
At this juncture, congratulations to Indian Newslink on 16 years of success in an environment that is in constant flux.
As always, I wish Indian Newslink well for many more successful years.
Makeover benefit
I appreciate this newspaper for its varied content and the balance it strikes between soft and hard news. Its articles provide insight into the adversities faced by, and the successes celebrated by Indian communities in New Zealand.
However, I strongly believe that the publication would benefit from a makeover.
I am no design expert, but I feel that a change in typography, layout and design would result in a fresher look that would be more eye-catching.
I would also like to see more investigative journalism and hear the voices of some of our younger people. What are their struggles and triumphs? Finally, it would be great if Indian Newslink had more of a social media presence. I am rather active on Facebook and would welcome the opportunity to share Indian Newslink articles through that platform!
As former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said, “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.”
Thank you Indian Newslink for keeping so many of us informed and educated.
Congratulations, and all the best!
Priyanca Radhakrishnan is a voracious reader, champions social and community causes and is a strong advocate of ethnic and gender diversity in corporate governance and in public life. She is a Member of the Labour Party Policy Council and lives in Auckland.
