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{{short description|Indian English-language daily newspaper}} |
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'''Mumbai Mirror''' is [[India]]'s first [[compact newspaper]] (morning tabloid), serving the city of [[Mumbai]]. It's first issue was published on [[2005-05-30]] by the [[Times Foundation]], the publishers of the [[Times of India]] newspaper. |
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{{COI|date=February 2024}} |
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{{good article}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}{{Infobox newspaper |
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| name = Mumbai Mirror |
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| logo = MumbaiMirrorLogo.jpg |
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| logo_size = 220px |
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| image = MumbaiMirrorCover.jpg |
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| image_size = 240px |
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| launched = {{start date and age|2005|05|25|df=yes}} |
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| format = [[Tabloid (newspaper format)|Tabloid]] |
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| publisher = Metropolitan Media Company |
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| editor = Ravi Joshi |
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| owners = [[The Times Group]] |
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| readership = 1,800,000+ (2017) |
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| website = {{official URL}} |
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| caption = The frontpage of ''Mumbai Mirror'', dated 2 August 2016. |
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| type = [[Daily newspaper]] <small>(2005–2020)</small> |
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| foundation = 2005 |
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| language = English |
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| headquarters = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]] |
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| publishing_city = |
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}} |
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'''''Mumbai Mirror''''' was an [[English-language]] newspaper that was initially launched in 2005 by the [[Times Group]] as part of a [[ringfencing]] tactic to fight emerging competition in the city, mainly from [[Zee News|Zee]]–[[Dainik Bhaskar|Bhaskar]]'s then joint newspaper, ''[[Daily News and Analysis]]''. ''Mumbai Mirror'' was downsized and digitised by its owners at [[The Times Group]] on 5 December 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdown.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Bhatia|first=Sidharth|date=7 December 2020|title=With the Death of Mumbai Mirror, a Connection With the City Is Lost|url=https://thewire.in/media/mumbai-mirror-local-news-india-newspaper-digital-media|access-date=2021-06-30|website=[[The Wire (India)|The Wire]]}}</ref> |
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Tha newspaper was launched at the [[Gateway of India]] by [[Vilasrao Deshmukh]], the [[Chief Minister]] of [[Maharashtra]] and the Times Chairman on [[2005-05-29]]. |
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''Mumbai Mirror'' was bundled into a weekly digital edition, along with its other sister ''Mirror'' local editions including ''[[Bangalore Mirror]]'', ''[[Pune Mirror]]'' and ''[[Ahmedabad Mirror]]'', and its staff drastically downsized and the residual employees provided a new contract modelled around their previous job roles.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Joseph|first=Anto T.|date=9 December 2020|title=Why is the Times Group shutting down Mirror?|url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2020/12/09/why-is-the-times-group-shutting-down-mirror|access-date=2021-06-30|website=[[Newslaundry]]}}</ref><ref name=":6" /> The head office of the paper was moved out from Mumbai into Bangalore, and the [[Bangalore Mirror]] editor took over the Mumbai edition along with control over the other digital editions.<ref name=":6" /> |
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Its main rival is the [[Midday]] newspaper. |
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In a statement, the Times Group stated in metaphoric terms that ''Mumbai Mirror'' was just a goat who had been given birth to protect Times of India's business interests and that it would be massacred once the job would be done. Its employees were just meat for BCCL and TOI.<ref name=":1" /> |
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* [http://www.mumbaimirror.com Official site] |
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* [http://syndication.indiatimes.com Times Syndication Service] |
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Content syndication of Mumbai Mirror is handled by the syndication arm of The Times Of India Group. |
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''Mumbai Mirror'' used to have the largest readership among [[tabloid format]] newspapers in the city before its downsizing.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /> Between 2005 and 2020, the paper was run as a [[Compact (newspaper)|compact]] [[daily newspaper]] whose coverage focused on city-specific local news and civic issues concerning education, healthcare and municipal administration.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Johari|first=Aarefa|date=19 December 2020|title=How the closure of the Mumbai Mirror and the erosion of local news coverage will hurt a city|url=https://scroll.in/article/981577/how-the-closure-of-the-mumbai-mirror-and-the-erosion-of-local-news-coverage-will-hurt-a-city|access-date=2021-06-30|website=[[Scroll.in]]|language=en-US}}</ref> The digitised weekly version of the paper is now run by a [[Times Group]] subsidiary called Metropolitan Media Company. |
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{{India-stub}} |
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== Covid-19 Downsizing == |
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| ⚫ | |||
The downsizing of ''Mirror'' started on 5 December 2020, when the Times Group first released a statement that the economic crisis induced by the pandemic had made the newspaper commercially unviable.<ref name=":2" /> The group announced that it would be converted into a [[weekly newspaper]] and would continue to be published online. The editor, Meenal Baghel, broke the news in a virtual meeting with the employees of the paper.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} The management and the human resources department were both largely unaware and could not brief the employees on the developments, which caused confusion and uncertainty.<ref name=":1" /> The development also invoked negative reactions from readers and commentators, who perceived it to be a closure of the newspaper.<ref name=":2" /> Some media critics raised questions on whether the newspaper was being axed by the company only due to financial reasons or whether there was something more to it.<ref name=":1" /> |
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The ''Mumbai Mirror'' office was moved to the office of the ''[[Bangalore Mirror]]'' and placed under its editor, Ravi Joshi. In January 2021, 40 journalists consisting 60% of the editorial team were laid off and the rest accommodated into either ''The Times of India'' or the digital media arm of the company, [[Times Internet]]. The retained employees included around 6 columnists who continued to publish their columns online on a vertical called ''TOI Plus''. The laid off staff were not provided any severance packages and asked to serve their notice period with one month's basic pay. The company maintained that the ''Mumbai Mirror'' had not shut down but transformed into a weekly. According to a former employee, they had not resorted to legal recourse because it would close off any future prospects with the company and that the company could employ the defense that severance packages are not enforceable because the newspaper had not shut down.<ref name=":6" /> |
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== Meenal Baghel == |
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Meenal Baghel, the Editor who served ''Mirror'' for 15 years, resigned from her role at The Times of India, where she was re-instated after the closure, in 2022. Baghel joined ''Hindustan Times'' as its Executive Editor and was made in-charge of its Mumbai and Pune editions.<ref>"HT appoints Meenal Baghel as the editor of Mumbai and Pune editions." [https://www.exchange4media.com/people-movement-news/ht-appoints-meenal-baghel-as-the-editor-of-mumbai-and-pune-editions-120717.html exchange4media.com.] 8 June 2022.</ref> |
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== History == |
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=== Background === |
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''[[The Times of India]]'' held a [[market dominance]] over the print media in Mumbai for over a century, being known as the "Old Lady of Boribunder" in the city. In 2005, two rival newspapers were expected to be launched which threatened its market share. ''[[Dainik Bhaskar]]'' and the [[Zee Group]] had formed a joint venture to launch the Mumbai-based ''[[Daily News and Analysis]]'', while the ''[[Hindustan Times]]'', which had primarily been a north Indian newspaper had announced the launch of its Mumbai edition.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last1=Nandy|first1=Madhurima|last2=K. K.|first2=Sruthjith|date=2008-08-19|title=Bangalore set to be next big battleground for print media|url=https://www.livemint.com/Home-Page/vM3SPspevxY7NcIFoHrs0J/Bangalore-set-to-be-next-big-battleground-for-print-media.html|access-date=2021-06-30|website=[[Livemint]]|language=en}}</ref> [[The Times Group]] was faced with large scale poaching of its experienced journalists as well as sales and marketing executives.<ref name=":1" /> The economy was experiencing a boom and the two new entrants in the Mumbai market offered lucrative jobs to otherwise underpaid journalists.<ref name=":0" /> |
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The Times Group held routine consultations and deliberations over the threat posed to it. The board eventually approved the decision to launch a new newspaper, the ''Mumbai Mirror'' as a [[ringfencing]] tactic against the competition.<ref name=":1" /> The new newspaper would further reduce the advertisement revenue prospects for the new entrants. It was printed in the tabloid format and was launched quickly.<ref name=":0" /> The executives were aware of the potential of the paper cannibalising the market share of its parent but disregarded it.<ref name=":1" /> The company had adopted a similar tactic in 1989 when it launched ''The Independent'' to compete with the ''Indian Post'', a newspaper founded by [[Vijaypat Singhania]]. ''Indian Post'' collapsed within a few years and ''The Independent'' was shut down with the company stating that it was unprofitable.<ref name=":0" /> |
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The ''Mumbai Mirror'' was launched on 25 May 2005 with a grand ceremony at the [[Gateway of India]], which saw [[Bollywood]] star [[Abhishek Bachchan]] and chief minister [[Vilasrao Deshmukh]] attend the gala event. The paper was launched before the other competing newspapers could be launched.<ref name=":1" /> In 2017, ''Mumbai Mirror'' had a readership of over 1.8 million, which made it the [[List of newspapers in India by readership|fifth-most widely read English language newspaper]] in the entire country.<ref name=":8" /> |
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=== Daily newspaper === |
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The ''Mumbai Mirror'' started as a free daily supplement alongside ''The Times of India''. 200,000 copies were distributed on its inaugural print which gave it the second largest circulation in Mumbai after ''The Times of India'' itself.<ref name=":1" /> Marketed as a [[compact newspaper]],<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|last=Rangaswami|first=Anant|date=2012-06-11|title=Mumbai Mirror: From compact to a tabloid?|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/mumbai-mirror-from-compact-to-a-tabloid-339003.html|access-date=2021-06-30|website=[[Firstpost]]}}</ref> the paper initially did not have catchy headlines but neither was it considered [[upmarket]] enough. It suffered as a result with the ''[[Mid-Day]]'' leading the tabloid circulation in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ramesh|first=Randeep|date=2005-07-27|title=Newspaper empires at war in India|url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/jul/27/pressandpublishing.business|access-date=2021-06-30|website=[[The Guardian]]|language=en}}</ref> [[Meenal Baghel]] was the founding editor of the newspaper. The paper slowly developed a reputation for aggressive [[public service]] journalism under her.<ref name=":0" /> The circulation figures continued to grow in the following years, in spite of the competition. The success of the paper in terms of editorial and circulation inspired the launch of similar editions in other cities such as the ''[[Bangalore Mirror]]'', ''[[Pune Mirror]]'' and ''[[Ahmedabad Mirror]]''.<ref name=":1" /> |
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The newspaper suffered losses in its first three year.<ref name=":1" /> The competition was intense and all the leading newspapers were in losses but through it, ''The Times of India'' managed to retain its position as the paper with the highest circulation.<ref name=":4" /> Over the years the strategy employed by The Times Group was successful in outmaneuvering its competition, the joint venture for the ''Daily News & Analysis'' was abandoned and the ''Hindustan Times'' continued to remain in losses in the city as of 2020. The net valuation of the ''Mumbai Mirror'' in 2011 was at {{INRConvert|200|c|year=2011}}.<ref name=":1" /> It was circulated alongside ''The Times of India'' at a composite rate.<ref name=":0" /> The newspaper was sold at ₹3 as a standalone and at ₹7 alongside its parent [[broadsheet]], ''The Times of India''.<ref name=":1" /> |
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According to the [[Indian Readership Survey]] (2017), the newspaper had a readership of over 1.8 million placing it as the fifth most read English newspaper in India.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|year=2019|title=Mumbai Mirror|url=https://india.mom-rsf.org/en/media/detail/outlet/mumbai-mirror/|access-date=2021-06-30|website=Media Ownership Monitor|publisher=[[Reporters Without Borders]]|language=en}}</ref> The editorial product was considered to be a success and the newspaper became well regarded as a more critical, independent and city focused newspaper in contrast to the broadsheet.<ref name=":2" /> The media watchdog ''[[Newslaundry]]'' described it to have done "more than it was supposed to".<ref name=":1" /> ''Mumbai Mirror'' had gained the highest tabloid readership in the city,<ref name=":2" /> and it cannibalised the advertisement revenue of The Times Group. Throughout its existence, the rates in the newspaper was much lower than that of the parent broadsheet and there was down trading by advertisers as the high circulation rate made it a viable alternative at lower rates.<ref name=":1" /> |
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In 2019, the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and its resultant lockdowns hit the profit margins of The Times Group. The net revenue from advertisements was decreasing in the last couple of years due to economic slowdown and with the pandemic, the circulation of both the newspapers in Mumbai took a hard drop.<ref name=":1" /> The government had also introduced import duties on [[newsprint]] which further increased expenses.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=Tiwari|first=Ayush|date=12 January 2021|title=40 lose jobs as Mumbai Mirror turns into a weekly, Pune Mirror continues as daily|url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2021/01/12/40-lose-jobs-as-mumbai-mirror-turns-into-a-weekly-pune-mirror-continues-as-daily|access-date=2021-07-01|website=[[Newslaundry]]}}</ref> |
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== Content == |
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The ''Mumbai Mirror'' focuses more on [[Civic engagement|civic issues]] and in depth local news coverage concerning Mumbai over national news compared to other newspapers in the city.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> The coverage focuses on issues such as healthcare, crime, education and local administration concerning the city. It includes critical reportage accompanied with forceful unconventional headlines.<ref name=":0" /> The language of the paper is [[indigenised]] with greater use of informal terms, [[Hindi]] words and [[code-switching]] in quotes. The newspaper also utilises large spaces for images and provides greater coverage to celebrity and entertainment news.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Deuber|first=Dagmar|url=https://brill.com/view/title/34026|title=Contested Communities: Communication, Narration, Imagination|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]]|year=2017|isbn=978-90-04-33528-8|editor-last=Mühleisen|editor-first=Susanne|volume=190|pages=133–128|language=EN|chapter=The Indian Tabloid in English: What Type of Community Does It Speak To, and How?}}</ref> |
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The paper has a large range of columns on law, economy, culture, etc.<ref name=":0" /> It had a popular column called ''Ask the Sexpert'' which received readers questions related to sexual activity and gave humorous informative answers in return.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Barry|first=Ellen|date=2014-08-08|title=90-Year-Old Sex Columnist Shatters Taboos in India|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/09/world/asia/mahinder-watsa-offers-sex-advice-to-indians.html|access-date=2021-06-30|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The column was written by the retired [[obstretrician]] [[Mahinder Watsa]] until his death in 2020,<ref>{{Cite news|agency=[[Press Trust of India]]|date=2020-12-29|title=Mumbai's sexpert Dr. Mahinder Watsa dead|language=en-IN|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/mumbais-sexpert-dr-mahinder-watsa-dead/article33441732.ece|access-date=2021-06-30|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> it is credited for breaking [[taboos]] and being a space for imparting [[sex education]] including [[safe sex]] practices which are often neglected in education.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=28 December 2020|title=Mumbai's 'Ask the Sexpert' columnist Mahinder Watsa dies at 96|url=https://scroll.in/latest/982489/mumbais-ask-the-sexpert-columnist-mahinder-watsa-dies-at-96|access-date=2021-06-30|website=[[Scroll.in]]|language=en-US}}</ref> |
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The photography editor of the ''Mumbai Mirror'', [[Sebastian D'Souza (photojournalist)|Sebastian D'Souza]] captured a number of pictures of [[Ajmal Kasab]] during the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]] including the most recognisable shot of the attacks; a closeup of Kasab with an assault rifle in a railway terminus.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Fuller|first=Thomas|date=2008-12-30|title=Photographers Recorded Mumbai Rampage in Stark Detail|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/30/world/asia/30mumbai.html|access-date=2021-06-30|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The photograph received a special mention in the spot news category of the [[World Press Photo of the Year]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Subramanian|first=Samanth|date=2009-11-23|title=The wrong place at the right time|url=https://www.livemint.com/Home-Page/1dSyiihsAiSI1HhXNg3inN/The-wrong-place-at-the-right-time.html|access-date=2021-06-30|website=[[Livemint]]|language=en}}</ref> D'Souza later received the Red Ink Award for Lifetime Achievement for his photography in midst of attacks and for his earlier work with [[Agence France-Presse]] (AFP) during the [[2002 Gujarat riots]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=2019-06-24|title=Scribe wins RedInk award for Aadhaar expose|work=[[Business Standard]]|agency=[[Press Trust of India]]|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/scribe-wins-redink-award-for-aadhaar-expose-119062401359_1.html|access-date=2021-06-30}}</ref> |
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=== Editorial stance === |
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The ''Mumbai Mirror'' used to have a [[hyperlocal]] focus<ref name=":2" /> and an issue-based, campaign-oriented journalism for initiating action towards solutions to civic issues including through collaboration with activists and college students.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last=Taguchi|first=Yoko|date=2012|title=Aesthetics of Civil Society: 'Fight the Filth' Campaign in Mumbai|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23214616|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|volume=47|issue=20|pages=13–16|jstor=23214616|issn=0012-9976}}</ref> It is described to have reported news from a citizen point of view, questioning unresponsive civic authorities and featuring local heroes.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> One criticism of its editorial stand has been that it focused on the interests of an English speaking [[middle class]] [[civil society]] in its advocacy for cleanliness in the city, disregarding compulsions of the [[working class]] population.<ref name=":5" /> |
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The newspaper maintained an oppositional and leftist focus on national news compared to its neutral-voiced broadsheet parent, and reported critical stories on the BJP government throughout its history. |
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==See also== |
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*''[[Mirror Buzz]]'' |
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== References == |
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{{reflist}} |
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* {{Official website}} |
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{{Newspapers in India |state=expanded}} |
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[[Category:Publications of The Times Group]] |
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[[Category:English-language newspapers published in India]] |
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[[Category:2005 establishments in Maharashtra]] |
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[[Category:Newspapers established in 2005]] |
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Latest revision as of 13:30, 6 December 2024
 | A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (February 2024) |
 | |
 The frontpage of Mumbai Mirror, dated 2 August 2016. | |
| Type | Daily newspaper (2005–2020) |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner(s) | The Times Group |
| Publisher | Metropolitan Media Company |
| Editor | Ravi Joshi |
| Launched | 25 May 2005 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Readership | 1,800,000+ (2017) |
| Website | mumbaimirror |
Mumbai Mirror was an English-language newspaper that was initially launched in 2005 by the Times Group as part of a ringfencing tactic to fight emerging competition in the city, mainly from Zee–Bhaskar's then joint newspaper, Daily News and Analysis. Mumbai Mirror was downsized and digitised by its owners at The Times Group on 5 December 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdown.[1]
Mumbai Mirror was bundled into a weekly digital edition, along with its other sister Mirror local editions including Bangalore Mirror, Pune Mirror and Ahmedabad Mirror, and its staff drastically downsized and the residual employees provided a new contract modelled around their previous job roles.[2][3] The head office of the paper was moved out from Mumbai into Bangalore, and the Bangalore Mirror editor took over the Mumbai edition along with control over the other digital editions.[3]
In a statement, the Times Group stated in metaphoric terms that Mumbai Mirror was just a goat who had been given birth to protect Times of India's business interests and that it would be massacred once the job would be done. Its employees were just meat for BCCL and TOI.[2]
Mumbai Mirror used to have the largest readership among tabloid format newspapers in the city before its downsizing.[4][2] Between 2005 and 2020, the paper was run as a compact daily newspaper whose coverage focused on city-specific local news and civic issues concerning education, healthcare and municipal administration.[4] The digitised weekly version of the paper is now run by a Times Group subsidiary called Metropolitan Media Company.
Covid-19 Downsizing
[edit]The downsizing of Mirror started on 5 December 2020, when the Times Group first released a statement that the economic crisis induced by the pandemic had made the newspaper commercially unviable.[4] The group announced that it would be converted into a weekly newspaper and would continue to be published online. The editor, Meenal Baghel, broke the news in a virtual meeting with the employees of the paper.[citation needed] The management and the human resources department were both largely unaware and could not brief the employees on the developments, which caused confusion and uncertainty.[2] The development also invoked negative reactions from readers and commentators, who perceived it to be a closure of the newspaper.[4] Some media critics raised questions on whether the newspaper was being axed by the company only due to financial reasons or whether there was something more to it.[2]
The Mumbai Mirror office was moved to the office of the Bangalore Mirror and placed under its editor, Ravi Joshi. In January 2021, 40 journalists consisting 60% of the editorial team were laid off and the rest accommodated into either The Times of India or the digital media arm of the company, Times Internet. The retained employees included around 6 columnists who continued to publish their columns online on a vertical called TOI Plus. The laid off staff were not provided any severance packages and asked to serve their notice period with one month's basic pay. The company maintained that the Mumbai Mirror had not shut down but transformed into a weekly. According to a former employee, they had not resorted to legal recourse because it would close off any future prospects with the company and that the company could employ the defense that severance packages are not enforceable because the newspaper had not shut down.[3]
Meenal Baghel
[edit]Meenal Baghel, the Editor who served Mirror for 15 years, resigned from her role at The Times of India, where she was re-instated after the closure, in 2022. Baghel joined Hindustan Times as its Executive Editor and was made in-charge of its Mumbai and Pune editions.[5]
History
[edit]Background
[edit]The Times of India held a market dominance over the print media in Mumbai for over a century, being known as the "Old Lady of Boribunder" in the city. In 2005, two rival newspapers were expected to be launched which threatened its market share. Dainik Bhaskar and the Zee Group had formed a joint venture to launch the Mumbai-based Daily News and Analysis, while the Hindustan Times, which had primarily been a north Indian newspaper had announced the launch of its Mumbai edition.[2][6] The Times Group was faced with large scale poaching of its experienced journalists as well as sales and marketing executives.[2] The economy was experiencing a boom and the two new entrants in the Mumbai market offered lucrative jobs to otherwise underpaid journalists.[1]
The Times Group held routine consultations and deliberations over the threat posed to it. The board eventually approved the decision to launch a new newspaper, the Mumbai Mirror as a ringfencing tactic against the competition.[2] The new newspaper would further reduce the advertisement revenue prospects for the new entrants. It was printed in the tabloid format and was launched quickly.[1] The executives were aware of the potential of the paper cannibalising the market share of its parent but disregarded it.[2] The company had adopted a similar tactic in 1989 when it launched The Independent to compete with the Indian Post, a newspaper founded by Vijaypat Singhania. Indian Post collapsed within a few years and The Independent was shut down with the company stating that it was unprofitable.[1]
The Mumbai Mirror was launched on 25 May 2005 with a grand ceremony at the Gateway of India, which saw Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan and chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh attend the gala event. The paper was launched before the other competing newspapers could be launched.[2] In 2017, Mumbai Mirror had a readership of over 1.8 million, which made it the fifth-most widely read English language newspaper in the entire country.[7]
Daily newspaper
[edit]The Mumbai Mirror started as a free daily supplement alongside The Times of India. 200,000 copies were distributed on its inaugural print which gave it the second largest circulation in Mumbai after The Times of India itself.[2] Marketed as a compact newspaper,[8] the paper initially did not have catchy headlines but neither was it considered upmarket enough. It suffered as a result with the Mid-Day leading the tabloid circulation in the city.[9] Meenal Baghel was the founding editor of the newspaper. The paper slowly developed a reputation for aggressive public service journalism under her.[1] The circulation figures continued to grow in the following years, in spite of the competition. The success of the paper in terms of editorial and circulation inspired the launch of similar editions in other cities such as the Bangalore Mirror, Pune Mirror and Ahmedabad Mirror.[2]
The newspaper suffered losses in its first three year.[2] The competition was intense and all the leading newspapers were in losses but through it, The Times of India managed to retain its position as the paper with the highest circulation.[6] Over the years the strategy employed by The Times Group was successful in outmaneuvering its competition, the joint venture for the Daily News & Analysis was abandoned and the Hindustan Times continued to remain in losses in the city as of 2020. The net valuation of the Mumbai Mirror in 2011 was at ₹200 crore (equivalent to ₹412 crore or US$49 million in 2023).[2] It was circulated alongside The Times of India at a composite rate.[1] The newspaper was sold at ₹3 as a standalone and at ₹7 alongside its parent broadsheet, The Times of India.[2]
According to the Indian Readership Survey (2017), the newspaper had a readership of over 1.8 million placing it as the fifth most read English newspaper in India.[7] The editorial product was considered to be a success and the newspaper became well regarded as a more critical, independent and city focused newspaper in contrast to the broadsheet.[4] The media watchdog Newslaundry described it to have done "more than it was supposed to".[2] Mumbai Mirror had gained the highest tabloid readership in the city,[4] and it cannibalised the advertisement revenue of The Times Group. Throughout its existence, the rates in the newspaper was much lower than that of the parent broadsheet and there was down trading by advertisers as the high circulation rate made it a viable alternative at lower rates.[2]
In 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic and its resultant lockdowns hit the profit margins of The Times Group. The net revenue from advertisements was decreasing in the last couple of years due to economic slowdown and with the pandemic, the circulation of both the newspapers in Mumbai took a hard drop.[2] The government had also introduced import duties on newsprint which further increased expenses.[3]
Content
[edit]The Mumbai Mirror focuses more on civic issues and in depth local news coverage concerning Mumbai over national news compared to other newspapers in the city.[1][2][4] The coverage focuses on issues such as healthcare, crime, education and local administration concerning the city. It includes critical reportage accompanied with forceful unconventional headlines.[1] The language of the paper is indigenised with greater use of informal terms, Hindi words and code-switching in quotes. The newspaper also utilises large spaces for images and provides greater coverage to celebrity and entertainment news.[10]
The paper has a large range of columns on law, economy, culture, etc.[1] It had a popular column called Ask the Sexpert which received readers questions related to sexual activity and gave humorous informative answers in return.[11] The column was written by the retired obstretrician Mahinder Watsa until his death in 2020,[12] it is credited for breaking taboos and being a space for imparting sex education including safe sex practices which are often neglected in education.[11][13]
The photography editor of the Mumbai Mirror, Sebastian D'Souza captured a number of pictures of Ajmal Kasab during the 2008 Mumbai attacks including the most recognisable shot of the attacks; a closeup of Kasab with an assault rifle in a railway terminus.[14] The photograph received a special mention in the spot news category of the World Press Photo of the Year.[15] D'Souza later received the Red Ink Award for Lifetime Achievement for his photography in midst of attacks and for his earlier work with Agence France-Presse (AFP) during the 2002 Gujarat riots.[16]
Editorial stance
[edit]The Mumbai Mirror used to have a hyperlocal focus[4] and an issue-based, campaign-oriented journalism for initiating action towards solutions to civic issues including through collaboration with activists and college students.[4][17] It is described to have reported news from a citizen point of view, questioning unresponsive civic authorities and featuring local heroes.[1][4] One criticism of its editorial stand has been that it focused on the interests of an English speaking middle class civil society in its advocacy for cleanliness in the city, disregarding compulsions of the working class population.[17]
The newspaper maintained an oppositional and leftist focus on national news compared to its neutral-voiced broadsheet parent, and reported critical stories on the BJP government throughout its history.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Bhatia, Sidharth (7 December 2020). "With the Death of Mumbai Mirror, a Connection With the City Is Lost". The Wire. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Joseph, Anto T. (9 December 2020). "Why is the Times Group shutting down Mirror?". Newslaundry. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d Tiwari, Ayush (12 January 2021). "40 lose jobs as Mumbai Mirror turns into a weekly, Pune Mirror continues as daily". Newslaundry. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Johari, Aarefa (19 December 2020). "How the closure of the Mumbai Mirror and the erosion of local news coverage will hurt a city". Scroll.in. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "HT appoints Meenal Baghel as the editor of Mumbai and Pune editions." exchange4media.com. 8 June 2022.
- ^ a b Nandy, Madhurima; K. K., Sruthjith (19 August 2008). "Bangalore set to be next big battleground for print media". Livemint. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Mumbai Mirror". Media Ownership Monitor. Reporters Without Borders. 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ Rangaswami, Anant (11 June 2012). "Mumbai Mirror: From compact to a tabloid?". Firstpost. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ Ramesh, Randeep (27 July 2005). "Newspaper empires at war in India". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ Deuber, Dagmar (2017). "The Indian Tabloid in English: What Type of Community Does It Speak To, and How?". In Mühleisen, Susanne (ed.). Contested Communities: Communication, Narration, Imagination. Vol. 190. Brill Publishers. pp. 133–128. ISBN 978-90-04-33528-8.
- ^ a b Barry, Ellen (8 August 2014). "90-Year-Old Sex Columnist Shatters Taboos in India". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Mumbai's sexpert Dr. Mahinder Watsa dead". The Hindu. Press Trust of India. 29 December 2020. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Mumbai's 'Ask the Sexpert' columnist Mahinder Watsa dies at 96". Scroll.in. 28 December 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ Fuller, Thomas (30 December 2008). "Photographers Recorded Mumbai Rampage in Stark Detail". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ Subramanian, Samanth (23 November 2009). "The wrong place at the right time". Livemint. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Scribe wins RedInk award for Aadhaar expose". Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 24 June 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ a b Taguchi, Yoko (2012). "Aesthetics of Civil Society: 'Fight the Filth' Campaign in Mumbai". Economic and Political Weekly. 47 (20): 13–16. ISSN 0012-9976. JSTOR 23214616.