Already, we have completed 7 successful years in the world of News. However, it seems that we have started this journey few days ago. We never realized how the time had passed. Since our entry into the market, we have always been experimenting with things to set new trends in media and keep parallel journalism alive. Holding a publication house or newspaper is no more a prerogative of an Industrialist. What matters is that you need to have courage and capabilities and a strong pen in hand. There is no alternative to hard work and sincere efforts. For me, it has been quite an eventful journey and a fantastic learning process. On this occasion, I would first like to express my sincere gratitude to all my readers and the people who actually shaped me as a journalist and helped me grow. Also to all my subordinates who let me explore and lend freedom to reach new avenues. My team includes a small group of young and inexperienced staff members with some already mentored while some yet to explore. Having limited resources, helpless status of not affording to pay very good package to the staffs, yet I remain prompt when payments are concerned.
Many get surprised and wondered when they know we are still surviving and are able to manage so many publications, standards and uninterrupted show. The secret is proper strategy and dedication to complete tasks within limited resources. I am proud to know the fact that, ours is the only parallel media house existing so far. The main purpose of starting this media house is to say no to intellectual slavery. Our sole intention is to fight the odds and evil in the fourth estate and maintain the integrity. We may not be hundred per cent successful because we are still young but the fact is that we at least have started.
Journalists abide accountability before the society in general, before the law and the professional connotation. The social responsibility of the journalist is that he acts in accordance with his personal ethical standards. Journalists’ main goal is to guarantee the rights of citizen and provide right and important information to his readers, which allows them to form adequate impression about social processes, their essence and importance, about the situation in their day to day world. We the Team NBC is trying our level best to stand up to your expectations. We are also fortunate that we have good readers, who trust us and believe in our integrity.
We avoid making mistakes, if at all, then we immediately rectify it. Corrections of significant mistakes should be published without delay in a visible place. We are not robots. Expression of emotions is expected. To conceal disappointment, anger, or compassion at human suffering would be dishonest. Yet emotions in journalism can be over-used and manipulated. We need freedom to breathe, to do justice to this profession. Unwanted and unexpected moral policing and taunting may discourage us from doing well.
Everything is fresh in my memory though seven years for the constant struggle is passing by. From the time, I started this endeavor to cope up with the trends, the challenges against the ethics, I received threatening phone calls from the impotent, spamming on social networks and the ever famous blogs against me to defame me. There were millions of incidents and I don’t want to recall them at all, which have tried to delude us in our way. We have overcome the hurdles and reached so far, the next level is still to arrive.
Afternoon Voice to go Digital
World is going digital and the existence of print medium for small organization like us doesn’t make much sense. We are widely read by readers online, we could establish good existence through this medium. Though, the decline of newspapers has been widely argued as the industry has faced down increasing newsprint prices, falling ad sales, the loss of much classified advertising and swift drops in circulation. In recent years, the number of newspapers slated for closure, bankruptcy or severe cutbacks has risen. Revenue has lurched while competition from internet media has squeezed older print publishers also. This has strictly affected media houses like us. We are small newspaper and could not fetch much readership through print, but created our existence. People have started noticing us. Sometimes, I get scared of getting vanished due to rat race competition in media. To strengthen our roots and remain here forever, we are making one more attempt towards digitalization of Afternoon Voice.
Digital journalism which is also known as online journalism is a present-day form of journalism where editorial content is distributed via the Internet as against publishing via print or broadcasting it. However the primary concern of journalism, which is news and features on current affairs, is presented solely or in combination as text, audio, video and some interactive forms, and disseminated through digital media platforms. On internet, we have huge scope to expand, we can reach globally, and moreover we are not here to make money or fame. We are here to serve news and content. We are marking our presence to make difference in fourth estate. We are here to bring revolution in media. Off late, media is called as ‘prostitute’ or presstitute, paid, bazaru and what not. Somewhere, people have lost faith in mainstream journalism. Media has become tools in the hands of power or rulers. I refused to be intellectual slave or labour. I want to have all that freedom of expressions to speak my mind and call spade a spade.
Print has its own challenges, but despite these problems, newspaper companies with significant brand value, which have published their work online, have a significant rise in viewership. Fewer obstacles to entry, lowered distribution costs, and assorted computer networking technologies have led to the widespread practice of digital journalism. There are many media houses like Tehelka, Cobra Post, Gulail and others came into limelight with digital media and then they entered into print media. It has democratised the flow of information that was previously controlled by traditional media including newspapers, magazines, radio and television. Some have asserted that greater degree of creativity can be exercised with digital journalism when compared to traditional journalism and traditional media. The digital aspect may be central to the journalistic message and remains, to some extent, within the creative control of the writer, editor, and/or publisher.
In the West, newspapers are trimming. Numbers of young people are increasing who don’t use newspapers or television anymore as their primary source of information and entertainment. They logon to net through all modern device and smart phones. They prefer reading everything at their convenience and online. In India, the repercussions are likely to be even more aggressive. Social media has democratized content. Nowadays, social media is giving tough competition to mainstream media. You will find a major chunk of the Indian population is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and blogs. Now, everyone has a voice and they are expressing themselves as a being part of every issue of this country. Youngsters are making and breaking the politicians and their political parties. Consumers of content can today themselves produce content at no cost – except their time. This has changed the connection between traditional media – print and TV – and its audience. Op-ed writers, comfortable to a one-way conversation with readers, now have to deal with instant feedback – some of it embarrassing. If you see online, even journalists and their reports are questioned by followers. There is debate and argument till the point it is proven. Social media prevents media houses to be biased and follow double standards. In the recent time, we can see really intense variation is the manner in which social and online media have made traditional media more accountable. Editors and TV anchors are regularly named and shamed if they wander off the straight and narrow. Prejudices are ruthlessly exposed, political affiliations closely analysed and one-sided articles winch on their own petard – in real-time. Twitter and Facebook together have over 150 million users in India.
The digital world is harsh and bold; it has its own challenges. Traditional media has no option but to adjust to the new virtual reality. The really important development in India though is that social media now acts as an informal regulator of mainstream media. Over the past few years, mainstream media has been hit by an integrity crisis. The line between journalism and public relations (PR) is blurring. Corruption in mainstream media occurs in two ways: one, individual journalists are paid in cash or kind; two, media owners are compromised by political parties or business houses. In such crises, if we the young team media have to stand still then existence in digital space is very crucial and with time ahead we may go aggressively online by limiting ourselves from restricted print medium.
Do not forget to log on to www.www.afternoonvoice.com and keep reading “Your Paper, Your Voice”.
About Newsmakers
Newsmakers is one of the fastest growing progressive media houses in India. We bring to you ‘Beyond the News’ a fortnightly magazine, a monthly ‘Maritime Bridges’, daily newspapers Afternoon Voice in English and Mumbai Manoos in Marathi. We also bring to you Hackers5, a niche magazine addressing cyber security and hacking. Our core competency lies in providing extensive coverage to every sphere of information. To this end we have become a team who is expertly poised with the right balance of experience and enthusiasm of a youth to give our publications the freshness and depth, equally. Honest reporting with an emphasis on ethics is our forte. We pride ourselves as a self-funded organization without relying on big industrial houses or political influence for sustenance. Our exclusive content allows us to build strong readership loyalties and this, is our coveted reward! We are here to play long innings and strive to continue playing as an integral part of our reader’s life.
Newsmakers started its glorious journey in 2009 with the launch of “Afternoon Voice”, an English daily newspaper, committed to the ‘common man’ and took this endeavour not as a business, but to serve the people of Mumbai and the entire nation with best possible unbiased information about happenings in our country.
Within a short span of time, Newsmakers became a recognized name in the media industry and continued adding several reputed publications under its wings. Soon after entering in the industry, all publications have been successful in drawing the attention of all sections of the society. Year 2010 proved to be a glorious year for Newsmakers, which was not enough. A step further was needed to recognize the hero of our society in every sphere and that was the birth of ‘Newsmakers Achievers’ Award’, to honour special people for their commendable work.
Expansion and growth
Afternoon Voice: Launched in 2009, Afternoon Voice is a Mumbai daily covering all aspects of the city. Besides the daily diet of news, sports and business; readers are served with refreshing columns and features related to the theme of the day.
Beyond the News: Launched in 2009, fast recognized for in-depth analysis of events that have a broad-spectrum impact on the society, the magazine has been appreciated on more than one occasion for its untarnished presentation of facts. In addition to reaching out to most cities in India, our magazine is also read in international cities like Sydney, Singapore, Bangkok and Dubai.
Mumbai Manoos: Launched in 2010, Mumbai Manoos is a daily tabloid targeting at a Marathi youth readership, for the people living in Mumbai. Keeping the language barrier at a bay, it was an honour to launch a dedicated Marathi daily to promote and reach out to Marathi speaking ‘Yuva Mumbaikar!
Mee Mumbaikar: Launched in 2010, a yet another Marathi Monthly Magazine dedicated to all age group of people living in Maharashtra to know whereabouts and happenings, culture and history of the state. This magazine is dedicated to feature the common man who deserves a recognition.
Maritime Bridges: Our monthly magazine to provide insight into the shipping industry of India. It is unique in content and approach as we bring our expertise on reporting hard news and apply it to this sector. The focus of the magazine rests on the maritime events occurring along the country’s vast coastline. It aims not only to cater to the industry specific need of understanding the events that most affect them but also serves as a platform for the members of the industry to form opinions and initiatives.
Hacker5: Everyone from IT, youth and common users are confronted by complex and critical choices of ethics and responsibility for which they should be prepared. Hacker5 presents the reality of those choices and their consequences. It directly addresses the key issues to influence youth, IT personnel and common computer users towards personal safety and socially acceptable use of cyber tools. The main objective of Hacker5 is to help the user to understand how cyber world, new technologies and latest hacking techniques contribute to their lives and their families, communities, and nation.
NBC Voice: This website was started with an intention to encourage fair, sensitive and accurate news coverage of issues concerning India. This website is envisioned as one of the leading voices of the ‘people of India’, as also for the purpose of upholding journalistic standards and ethics.
www.www.afternoonvoice.com: Cutting across the constraint of being time bound to deliver news every 24 hours, this website is full up with latest trends, news, happenings and also includes daily editorials. Website which has been recognized with a readership sky rocketing as the news flows in.
Newsmakers Achievers Award
Not everybody works for the upliftment of the society. A person in any field whether an artist or a social worker should be appreciated and thanked for his commendable contribution of his time and efforts to enhance the prospects of our society.
We, Newsmakers Broadcasting and Communications Pvt. Ltd. (NBC), comprehending the importance of such people in society who have never claimed for their name but always dedicated themselves by their selfless contribution; not only salute their hard work to improve the society but also would love to count them amongst deserving citizens for awards which gets honoured on May 1st every year for their “achievements” under the title “Newsmakers Achievers Awards”.
Our Vision
Newsmakers Broadcasting & Communication Pvt. Ltd continues to grow into a multimedia business focusing on newspaper, magazines, internet publishing, online television, commercial printing, advertising and many other distribution services.
In the upcoming two years, Newsmakers Broadcasting & Communication Pvt. Ltd will expand as the dominant multimedia enterprise through editorial innovations, unbiased news and world-class practices.
Our aim is to keep parallel journalism alive, by fighting the evils in the Fourth Estate of Democracy.
(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)
